"Manual scavenging refers to the unsafe, undignified removal of raw (fresh and untreated) human excreta from buckets or other containers that are used as toilets or from the pits of simple pit latrines.
Not all forms of dry toilets involve "manual scavenging" to empty them, but only those that require unsafe handling of raw excreta. If on the other hand the excreta is already treated or pre-treated in the dry toilet itself, as is the case for composting toilets and urine-diverting dry toilets for example, then emptying these types of toilets is not classified as "manual scavenging".
Also, emptying the pits of twin-pit pour-flush toilets is not classified as manual scavenging in India, as the excreta is already partly treated and degraded in those pits"
- Wikipedia
As described by The International Labour Organisaton there are three types of scavenging, they are as follows in India:
• Removal of human excrement from public streets and "dry latrines" (meaning simple pit latrines without a water seal, but not dry toilets in general)
• Cleaning septic tanks
• Cleaning gutters and sewers.
Manual cleaning of railway lines of excreta dropped from toilets of trains (very common in India)
is another form of manual scavenging in India
A report by the SAFAI KARMACHARI ANDOLAN (a movement to eradicate manual scavenging in India) states that:
The presence of dry latrine poses a challenge in completing the sanitation chain. In India, people belonging to a specific caste, people in the Dalit community, are forced to complete this chain – The MANAUAL SCAVENGERS
Manual scavenging is considered one of the lowest, polluted and most degrading occupations.
The caste system dictates that those born into a particular Dalit sub-caste should engage in manual scavenging, and should remain doing so throughout their lives thereby denying them the right to lead a dignified life.
The caste system dictates that those born into a particular Dalit sub-caste should engage in manual scavenging, and should remain doing so throughout their lives thereby denying them the right to lead a dignified life.
Manual scavenging is thus the most extreme manifestation of caste discrimination, that is, discrimination based on work and descent.
The Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 this act prohibits the engagement or employment of persons for manually carrying human excreta, and further prohibits the construction or maintenance of dry latrines. But ironically, in spite of having this legislation for more than 15 years, the practice of manual scavenging is rampant in various parts of the country in both the private and government establishments"
THE HINDU provides us with this startling facts about manual scavenging in India :
Maharashtra, with 63,713, tops the list with the largest number of manual scavenger households, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Karnataka, as per Census data.
There were several steps taken to eradicate manual scavenging , those include :
"In the late 1950s, freedom fighter G. S. Lakshman Iyer banned manual scavenging when he was the chairman of Gobichettipalayam Municipality, which became the first local body to ban it officially"
Under this, in February 2013 Delhi announced that they are banning manual scavenging, making them the first state in India to do so.
District magistrates are responsible for ensuring that there are no manual scavengers working in their district. Within 3 years time municipalities, railways and cantonments must make sufficient sanitary latrines available. The government of the state of Maharashtra has planned to abolish the menace of manual scavenging completely from the state soon. But by using Article 252 of the constitution which empowers Parliament to legislate for two or more States by consent and adoption of such legislation by any other State, the Government of India has enacted various laws . The continuance of such discriminatory practice is violation of ILO’s Convention 111 (Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.
The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.
After six states passed resolutions requesting the Central Government to frame a law, The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, drafted by the Ministry of Urban Development under the Narasimha Rao government, was passed by Parliament in 1993.
The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 punishes the employment of scavengers or the construction of dry (non-flush) latrines with imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 2,000. No convictions were obtained under the law during the 20 years it was in force.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 or M.S. Act 2013.
Government has passed the new legislation in September 2013 and issued Government notification for the same. In December, 2013 Government has also formulated Rules-2013 called as "The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules 2013" or "M.S. Rules 2013". The details about Act and Rules are available on the website of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI.
Further, the hearing on 27 March 2014 was held on Manual Scavenging of writ petition number 583 of 2003, and supreme Court has issued final orders and case is disposed of with various directions to the Government.
The broad objectives of the act are to eliminate unsanitary latrines, prohibit the employment of manual scavengers
and the hazardous manual cleaning of sewer and septic tanks, and to maintain a survey of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation."
People work as manual scavengers because their caste is expected to fulfill this role, and are typically unable to get any other work,” said Ganguly. “This practice is considered one of the worst surviving symbols of untouchability because it reinforces the social stigma that these castes are untouchable and perpetuates discrimination and social exclusion.
Manual Scavenging, even after several tries is still a blot in the Indian society.
Somehow the government failed to eliminate it completely.
This act mainly has the lower class as the victim.
It's hard to believe that even in 21st century such kind of discrimination is carried on the basis of caste.
The caste happens to decide the kind of occupation that suits an individual..
No one is born with a occupation so degrading,
You have the complete freedom to choose one for yourself.
It's high time, that the society should shed their mask of equally and actually think about the needy.
The lower classes, the dalits are not to be treated like this.
They too deserve, a healthy and hygienic life like all of us do.
It's time, we respect their existence too.
- Priyanka Chatterjee
Not all forms of dry toilets involve "manual scavenging" to empty them, but only those that require unsafe handling of raw excreta. If on the other hand the excreta is already treated or pre-treated in the dry toilet itself, as is the case for composting toilets and urine-diverting dry toilets for example, then emptying these types of toilets is not classified as "manual scavenging".
Also, emptying the pits of twin-pit pour-flush toilets is not classified as manual scavenging in India, as the excreta is already partly treated and degraded in those pits"
- Wikipedia
As described by The International Labour Organisaton there are three types of scavenging, they are as follows in India:
• Removal of human excrement from public streets and "dry latrines" (meaning simple pit latrines without a water seal, but not dry toilets in general)
• Cleaning septic tanks
• Cleaning gutters and sewers.
Manual cleaning of railway lines of excreta dropped from toilets of trains (very common in India)
is another form of manual scavenging in India
A report by the SAFAI KARMACHARI ANDOLAN (a movement to eradicate manual scavenging in India) states that:
The presence of dry latrine poses a challenge in completing the sanitation chain. In India, people belonging to a specific caste, people in the Dalit community, are forced to complete this chain – The MANAUAL SCAVENGERS
Manual scavenging is considered one of the lowest, polluted and most degrading occupations.
The caste system dictates that those born into a particular Dalit sub-caste should engage in manual scavenging, and should remain doing so throughout their lives thereby denying them the right to lead a dignified life.
The caste system dictates that those born into a particular Dalit sub-caste should engage in manual scavenging, and should remain doing so throughout their lives thereby denying them the right to lead a dignified life.
Manual scavenging is thus the most extreme manifestation of caste discrimination, that is, discrimination based on work and descent.
The Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 this act prohibits the engagement or employment of persons for manually carrying human excreta, and further prohibits the construction or maintenance of dry latrines. But ironically, in spite of having this legislation for more than 15 years, the practice of manual scavenging is rampant in various parts of the country in both the private and government establishments"
THE HINDU provides us with this startling facts about manual scavenging in India :
Maharashtra, with 63,713, tops the list with the largest number of manual scavenger households, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Karnataka, as per Census data.
There were several steps taken to eradicate manual scavenging , those include :
"In the late 1950s, freedom fighter G. S. Lakshman Iyer banned manual scavenging when he was the chairman of Gobichettipalayam Municipality, which became the first local body to ban it officially"
Under this, in February 2013 Delhi announced that they are banning manual scavenging, making them the first state in India to do so.
District magistrates are responsible for ensuring that there are no manual scavengers working in their district. Within 3 years time municipalities, railways and cantonments must make sufficient sanitary latrines available. The government of the state of Maharashtra has planned to abolish the menace of manual scavenging completely from the state soon. But by using Article 252 of the constitution which empowers Parliament to legislate for two or more States by consent and adoption of such legislation by any other State, the Government of India has enacted various laws . The continuance of such discriminatory practice is violation of ILO’s Convention 111 (Discrimination in Employment and Occupation.
The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.
After six states passed resolutions requesting the Central Government to frame a law, The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, drafted by the Ministry of Urban Development under the Narasimha Rao government, was passed by Parliament in 1993.
The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 punishes the employment of scavengers or the construction of dry (non-flush) latrines with imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 2,000. No convictions were obtained under the law during the 20 years it was in force.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 or M.S. Act 2013.
Government has passed the new legislation in September 2013 and issued Government notification for the same. In December, 2013 Government has also formulated Rules-2013 called as "The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules 2013" or "M.S. Rules 2013". The details about Act and Rules are available on the website of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI.
Further, the hearing on 27 March 2014 was held on Manual Scavenging of writ petition number 583 of 2003, and supreme Court has issued final orders and case is disposed of with various directions to the Government.
The broad objectives of the act are to eliminate unsanitary latrines, prohibit the employment of manual scavengers
and the hazardous manual cleaning of sewer and septic tanks, and to maintain a survey of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation."
People work as manual scavengers because their caste is expected to fulfill this role, and are typically unable to get any other work,” said Ganguly. “This practice is considered one of the worst surviving symbols of untouchability because it reinforces the social stigma that these castes are untouchable and perpetuates discrimination and social exclusion.
Manual Scavenging, even after several tries is still a blot in the Indian society.
Somehow the government failed to eliminate it completely.
This act mainly has the lower class as the victim.
It's hard to believe that even in 21st century such kind of discrimination is carried on the basis of caste.
The caste happens to decide the kind of occupation that suits an individual..
No one is born with a occupation so degrading,
You have the complete freedom to choose one for yourself.
It's high time, that the society should shed their mask of equally and actually think about the needy.
The lower classes, the dalits are not to be treated like this.
They too deserve, a healthy and hygienic life like all of us do.
It's time, we respect their existence too.
- Priyanka Chatterjee
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