<p class="bodytext">Ironically, the Supreme Court has called for an immediate stoppage of manual scavenging, which the law had banned many years ago and the court itself called for an end to many times. Last week, the court rapped the central government, again, for its failure on the matter and reprimanded administrators of metro cities, including Bengaluru, for non-compliance. It directed the Commissioners of the cities to file affidavits showing “how and when manual scavenging/sewer cleaning has been stopped,’’ and report compliance by February 13. The court was monitoring its October 2023 judgement directing all states to take measures to end the inhuman practice. It noted that the practice is still prevalent and mentioned two deaths that happened only a few days ago. Even after the court issued this directive, three labourers died inside a sewer in Kolkata. The court noted that the states had not complied with its 2023 order and those who were filing false affidavits would be held in contempt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The authorities have resorted to mutual blaming over their failure to implement the law and the court’s directives. During last week’s hearing, the central government told the court that sanitation is a state subject and the Centre had coordinated meetings with states for necessary action. No authority has proactively tried to stop the practice. It is the people at the bottom rung of society, mostly from SC communities, who are engaged in manual scavenging. The practice exists in about 40% of the districts and about 75-80 people have died every year since 2019 after inhaling poisonous gases while working in sewers or from other accidents. There is a distinction in the law between manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning and states have exploited this loophole to claim that there is no manual scavenging. The court had ordered that machines or protective gear should be used but this also has not been complied with. It had ordered payment of Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of those who died while cleaning sewers, but this has only been observed in the breach.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Karnataka has about 7,500 manual scavengers and over 1,600 of them are officially under the BBMP. But it is estimated that the actual number in Bengaluru alone may be about 25,000. Bengaluru has accounted for most deaths reported from the state. There were two deaths in the city a few months ago. While many manual scavengers continue to do their work, promises and plans of rehabilitation have not been implemented properly. It is shameful that such a practice is so widely prevalent in the country and in the state; the court’s initiative will, hopefully, make a difference.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Ironically, the Supreme Court has called for an immediate stoppage of manual scavenging, which the law had banned many years ago and the court itself called for an end to many times. Last week, the court rapped the central government, again, for its failure on the matter and reprimanded administrators of metro cities, including Bengaluru, for non-compliance. It directed the Commissioners of the cities to file affidavits showing “how and when manual scavenging/sewer cleaning has been stopped,’’ and report compliance by February 13. The court was monitoring its October 2023 judgement directing all states to take measures to end the inhuman practice. It noted that the practice is still prevalent and mentioned two deaths that happened only a few days ago. Even after the court issued this directive, three labourers died inside a sewer in Kolkata. The court noted that the states had not complied with its 2023 order and those who were filing false affidavits would be held in contempt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The authorities have resorted to mutual blaming over their failure to implement the law and the court’s directives. During last week’s hearing, the central government told the court that sanitation is a state subject and the Centre had coordinated meetings with states for necessary action. No authority has proactively tried to stop the practice. It is the people at the bottom rung of society, mostly from SC communities, who are engaged in manual scavenging. The practice exists in about 40% of the districts and about 75-80 people have died every year since 2019 after inhaling poisonous gases while working in sewers or from other accidents. There is a distinction in the law between manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning and states have exploited this loophole to claim that there is no manual scavenging. The court had ordered that machines or protective gear should be used but this also has not been complied with. It had ordered payment of Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the next of kin of those who died while cleaning sewers, but this has only been observed in the breach.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Karnataka has about 7,500 manual scavengers and over 1,600 of them are officially under the BBMP. But it is estimated that the actual number in Bengaluru alone may be about 25,000. Bengaluru has accounted for most deaths reported from the state. There were two deaths in the city a few months ago. While many manual scavengers continue to do their work, promises and plans of rehabilitation have not been implemented properly. It is shameful that such a practice is so widely prevalent in the country and in the state; the court’s initiative will, hopefully, make a difference.</p>
