Delhi Rains: Scavenging is not just a dirty word

Much recent outrage has centred around the state of drains and sewage after many cities have been submerged by rainwater. Once the waters recede, the issue of clearing debris and garbage will also join the 'conversation'. And, yet, one of the key causes for these concerns remains a footnote: the continued acceptance of manual scavengers and sewage cleaners. In 2019, the Supreme Court had compared the situation with sending people 'to gas chambers to die'. 246 of India's 766 districts are yet to declare themselves manual scavenging-free and have not shared relevant data. The deadline for declaring India manual scavenging-free is next month. Best of luck with that.

Manual scavenging was banned in 1993. In 2013, a more robust law was enacted, which mentions mechanical equipment be used instead of humans. It also provided guidelines for emergency situations that demand human intervention - without defining 'emergency situations'. This loophole is exploited by contractors to hire people for hazardous cleaning work.

Last budget, Nirmala Sitharaman said all cities and towns would switch to 100% mechanical de-sludging septic tanks and sewers, also a National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). Action has been glacial. A key reason is the unorganised nature of the sector, run by small-time contractors not ready to spend on machines, and easy availability of unskilled labour. There is a shocking lack of oversight and accountability, too. The 2013 law says that all states must have a safai karamchari commission and district vigilance committees. But 14 states/UTs have not bothered to set up these panels. A country is judged by the dignity it gives its people, not by perpetuating a pipeline of 'invisible' labour picking up the pieces.