Social attitudes, casteism, govt apathy keep manual scavenging alive

While we traverse the busy roads of Bengaluru or the narrow gullies, the sight of manual scavengers cleaning suffocating sewers does not make us stop and ask “Is this even right?” This is because such scenes have become normalised despite laws banning such practices.

A recent survey indicated that in the eight city zones excluding Yelahanka, Bommanahalli and Dasarahalli, there were 1,139 manual scavengers in Bengaluru. DH is taking a closer look at why this is happening despite stringent regulations against the practice.

R Naagha Shyamala, who is part of Teach for India fellowship, says: “These illegal practices continue to happen because government mandates come once in a decade, without active execution. Another factor is the deep-rooted casteism that still persists even in metropolitan cities.”

In 1993, the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act banned employing manual scavengers. “Yet, the practice continued unhinged in most parts of the country. Later, the government tapped its memory on this issue after a decade in 2013 to reinforce the law. This followed protests by NGOs after asphyxiation deaths in the sewer chambers. But the deaths have continued,” Naagha elaborates.

She recalls one of her visits to the slums in Bengaluru that exposed an enabling ecosystem to continue the practice. “Casteism has pushed people of particular castes into the deeper holes of slums, devoid of education, property or any other forms of livelihood and pulls them into the manholes which end up being their only source of income.”

The education system, she says, has still not sanitised the casteism in it leaving generations of manual scavengers with no alternate ways of effective rehabilitation.

She also draws attention to the thriving practice of manual scavenging in the Railways, a government entity. This is a hard-hitting reality of how the government and public mindset are aligned against the objective of prohibiting the illegal and inhumane practice, notes Naagha.

There are several technologies and machines available to clean the gutters. Still, labourers are used for this purpose.

Fr Sojan Paul, a research scholar at Christ University has this to say: “The society is not giving an opportunity to the underprivileged. That is the main reason manual scavenging exists in this so-called developed society even after the technological revolution.”

Lakshmipathi Devareddy, Assistant Manager Operations at HCG Hospital, points out, “Manual scavenging exists due to the failure of enforcement of the Act, lack of education and awareness among the scavengers.”

Poverty and inadequate payment force the underprivileged sections to get dragged into the scavenging job.

The government, he says, need to spend on modern technologies, so that the problem of inadequate equipment is addressed and the unscientific practice stopped effectively.

Alana Babu, a MSW student, reiterates that the plight of scavengers in the 21st century in our society reflects the ignorance of the governing bodies and
attitude of common people towards them.

“It’s high time for us to bring them out of the barriers of marginalisation and ensure them a better living standard.”