Law on manual scavenging ban half-hearted effort: NHRC

Law on manual scavenging ban half-hearted effort: NHRC

It is a matter of "national shame" that manual scavenging has not completely stopped in the country, NHRC chairperson K G Balakrishnan said and described the 1993 Act for its prohibition as a "half-hearted effort".

He was speaking at a day-long national workshop on manual scavenging and sanitation organised by the National Human Rights Commission which concluded with a dominant observation that the statistics on abolition of manual scavenging and dry latrines in the country do not match the reality.

Balakrishnan, who inaugurated the conference in New Delhi on Friday, said that it is a point of concern that the states are "very slow" in implementing the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.

He said it is an issue of "national shame" that despite an Act being in place and so many measures being taken, manual scavenging has not completely stopped in the country.

Balakrishnan said the 1993 Act is also a "half-hearted effort" as there is no authority made accountable which can be held responsible for continuance of the practice.

The rehabilitation of erstwhile manual scavengers is also not up to the mark, he said.

Equating manual scavenging with bonded labour, the NHRC chairperson said scavengers also need to be rehabilitated in a similar manner.

The workshop also noted that the nation owes an apology to manual scavengers whose services have been key to keeping the environment clean but who in return got only the rejection of the society.

Among those who attended the workshop were P L Punia, the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Kamlaben S Gurjar, Chairperson of National Commission for Safai Karamcharies as well as members of NHRC.