Govt draws up Rs 1.25 L-cr action plan to end manual scavenging

New Delhi: The Centre has prepared a Rs 1.25 lakh crore National Action Plan to completely phase out manual scavenging and acquire hi-tech machines in 500 cities and major gram panchayats to clean sewers without any human interface.

After numerous sewer deaths and a rap from Supreme Court, a Group of Ministers (GoM) has been formed under defence minister Rajnath Singh to finalise a National Action Plan. The plan being considered has two parts – rehabilitation of manual scavengers and completely phasing out the practice of physically entering sewers for cleaning. GoM members include ministers Gajendra Shekhawat, Narendra Singh Tomar and Thaawar Chand Gehlot.

According to sources, the second part of the plan is the major challenge. It would involve ministries of housing and urban affairs, drinking water and sanitation and social justice and empowerment and state governments. It would have four major components – excavation of waste or decongestion of sewer, transportation of waste matter, treatment at sewage treatment plants and then re-use. The plan would be initiated in 500 cities covered by Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The flagship mission involves setting up of a sewage network and water supply for urban transformation. Apart from 500 AMRUT cities, the national plan would also be implemented in major gram panchayats.


A senior official, who did not wish to be identified, told ET, “We have to identify technology so that there is no human intervention. Nobody needs to enter a sewer even with protective gear. This would involve suction of sewage by machines. It needs to be transported hygienically to a sewage treatment plant. All the solutions need to be worked out.”