NHRC seeks report from Karnataka govt on manual scavenging

The action came after NHRC took suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that manual scavenging was still continuing in certain parts of Karnataka.

The Commission said that if the contents were true, then it raise a serious issue of violations of human rights of the people engaged in manual scavenging.

"A notice has been issued to Karnataka Chief Secretary calling for a report in the matter within four weeks," an NHRC spokesperson said.

The Chief Secretary has also been asked to specify the districts in which manual scavenging was still prevalent and the steps taken by the state government for its eradication, after the adoption of "The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993".

According to the report, manual scavenging was banned in Karnataka in 1970 but despite this about 8,000 manual scavengers earn their living by clearing human waste in Karnataka.
The news report has specifically quoted the prevalence of practice of manual scavenging in the Kennedy lanes in Kolar field.