Insanitary latrines used at Shravanabelagola, charges NGO

Members of an NGO have charged that insanitary latrines had been built and used at Shravanabelagola, where the Mahamastakabhisheka concluded on Sunday. This, despite the law prohibiting the use of such latrines.

A press release by Safai Karmachari Kavulu Samithi said that despite the claims by Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri that provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (MSR) Act, 2013, were not violated during the Mahamastakabhisheka, there was evidence in possession of the Samithi to the contrary.

It is clear that insanitary latrines were built at the venue and cleaned by barefoot workers, which violates Sections 5 and 7 of the MSR Act.

"There are photographs and videos of insanitary latrines built there," said Venkatesh, chairman of the Karnataka State Commission for Safai Karmacharis.

The press release says that the organisers chose to ignore the directions of the Commission and the revenue secretary, even as the the district administration chose to look the other way and willfully abetted the perpetuation of the casteist inhuman practice of manual scavenging.

"Around 350 manual scavengers, mostly from north India, worked here," said Obalesh, member of the Karnataka state Commission for Safai Karmacharis. He said that a complaint was registered with the National Safai Karmachari Commission.