Inhuman practice

The Supreme Court has again had to take the initiative to force the governments at the Centre and in the states to effectively implement the Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act passed by parliament last year.

The bill itself was introduced after the court had given an ultimatum to the government on it. 

A law which banned manual scavenging had existed since 1993 but governments had not taken any sincere steps to implement it. 

The new law was stricter than the 1993 legislation. 

 

It prescribed stronger penalties for violations, set even a deadline for putting an end to the practice and proposed rehabilitation measures for those who were engaged in it and for their families. 

But governments have shamefully shown indifference in implementation of its provisions also and the court has stepped in again.

 

Manual scavenging is a degrading and inhuman practice which has passed from generation to generation. 

In spite of many campaigns and efforts to eliminate the practice, there are many lakhs of people, including women, who are engaged in it. 

All of them are from the lowest rungs of society as the practice is mixed with caste practices also. 

Lakhs of dry latrines exist in the country and they are cleaned manually by people. Sewers and septic tanks are also cleaned manually. 

Many government departments and bodies, including the railways, are guilty of employing manual scavengers. 

 

It should be stopped not only on humanitarian grounds but for other reasons too. It is major public health and safety hazard. 

The continuance of the practice also points to the serious problem of lack of good sanitation in the country. 

The medical and financial cost of poor sanitation is very high. There is no sign of the country moving towards basic and universal sanitation in the near future.

There is no escape from the menial occupation for most because they do not have any other skills. 

A vocational training plan for them has not shown results. Rehabilitation measures and provision of educational facilities and residential houses or plots as proposed in the legislation might make a difference. 

 

The court has ordered immediate action on these. 

It has also ordered payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation for each sewer death caused by the lack of use of safety gear. 

Governments should have taken action on all these without the court telling them to. Manual scavenging is a social, economic and human rights issue and it should be dealt with seriously and with commitment.