MANUAL SCAVENGING THE MENACE

Caste has always been one of the most important institution of the society in India It is not simply a tag of identity but dictates a way of life it is one of the prime manifestations in the allocation of labor. Caste hierarchy reinforces occupational hierarchy, Whenever we talk about manual scavenging or cleaning of dry latrines we usually associate it with lower caste people Dalits as it is burdened with Dalit community. Although the practice was banned under the Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers Act, 2013, the inhumane exercise continues. According to government data, 97 % of manual scavengers are Dalits and the breakdown of numbers reveal that 42,594 manual scavengers belong to Scheduled Castes, 421 belongs to Scheduled Tribes and 431 belong to Other In backward Classes, these statistics are a disturbing reminder of our collective failure to rise above caste lines and provide dignity of labor to all.

The efforts to abolish this custom have garnered momentum within the state machinery,

advocacy groups, and academia in the last three decades, particularly since the constitution of the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) in 1994. Officially, the number of manual scavengers dropped to 42,303 in 2018 from 770,338 in 2008. Notwithstanding the said developments, drastic reduction in the official count in the recent past can be construed as indicative of gross underassessment rather than being reflective of their actual numbers in India. While the Indian government attributes this drop to the strict enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and the impact of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it couldn’t be further from the truth. A closer inspection of the problem reveals many shortcomings in the implementation of the said act, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as well as procedures adopted to arrive at the official figure of manual scavengers.

A survey in 2018 of manual scavengers conducted by NSKFDC at the behest of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. This survey which found 87,913 manual scavengers in

India was only conducted in statutory towns of 14 Indian states. The fact that this survey

was confined to statutory towns in India is reflective of the Central government’s attempt to

willfully misjudge manual scavenging as an urban problem.

Given the gaps in assessment and laxity in implementation, it is unlikely that manual

scavenging would end anytime soon. However, the judiciary has taken a proactive role in

addressing this issue More recently, the Bombay High Court in response to a PIL filed in

2019, sought a response from the Maharashtra Government regarding the number of

convictions in cases related to the employment of manual scavengers as well as the

disbursement of compensations upon their death, doubting the tendency of underreporting

by the government.

The state and society need to take an active interest in the issue and look into all possible

options to accurately assess and subsequently eradicate this practice. It also warrants an

engagement of all stakeholders for the proper introduction of mechanization and ensuring

that it is made available to all those who are forced to engage in this undignified practice.