Running a pilot project using robots for cleaning sewer lines and septic tanks, doling out financial aid for technological innovations for hazardous waste cleaning and empanelment of the de-sledging market and regulating its operations.
These were among a slew of suggestions made by experts at a discussion on ‘Dignity and Liberty of the Individuals — Rights of Manual Scavengers’, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the national capital.
Expressing concern over the continued incidents of deaths of sanitation workers despite the legal provisions to eradicate manual cleaning of sewage and hazardous waste, newly appointed NHRC Chairperson, Justice V Ramasubramanian said that it is necessary to study and understand the causes to suggest remedial measures.
He stressed the need for running a pilot project using technology/robots for cleaning sewer lines and septic tanks to begin with one state to see its outcome and further replication in other parts of the country.
At the same time, NHRC Secretary General, Bharat Lal enumerated various steps that the Commission has taken up in the issue of the implementation of mechanized cleaning processes by various states and the measures taken by them in this regard.
He shared that it has come to their notice that various states have prepared a three-year programme for all Urban Local Bodies in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in a related matter.
He also expressed concern how certain castes and communities are disproportionately affected by this practice of manual scavenging. His observation comes amidst various reports that close to 92% of the Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) profiled by the Social Justice Ministry belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Other Backward Class (OBC) communities.
The discussion was attended by NHRC Members Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, and Justice (Dr) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi, and other senior officers.
NHRC Joint Secretary, Devendra Kumar Nim who gave an overview of the three technical sessions- ‘Addressing the issue of deaths in septic and were tanks in India,’ ‘The need for a complete ban on manual scavenging,’ and ‘Rehabilitation measures for manual scavengers: A path towards dignity and empowerment and the way forward,’ called manual scavenging as one of the biggest challenges society is facing today, which needs to be addressed with concerted collective efforts.
Need for better representation and ground-level monitoring to ensure effective welfare implementation and surveys for effective implementation of rehabilitation programmes and minimum wages were some of the suggestions which emanated from the discussions.
Experts also called for making a distinction between sanitation workers and manual scavengers in the 2013 Act and imparting training for it to women-led SHGs for sustainable livelihoods.
The speakers included Prabhat Kumar Singh, Managing Director, National Safai Karamacharis Finance & Development Corporation, Bezwada Wilson, National Convenor, Safai Karamchari Andholan, Sujoy Majumdar, Senior WASH specialist, UNICEF India, Yusuf Kabir, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF, India, Rohit Kakkar, CPHEEO, Rashid Karimbanakkal, Director, Genrobotics Innovations, Kerala, Baishali Lahiri, International Labour Organisation.
Among others who spoke on the occasion were Dr Vinod Kumar, Law and Director of Centre for Human Rights and Subaltern Studies, National Law University, Manjula Pradeep, WAYVE Foundation, Raj Kumari, Solinas Integrity Pvt. Ltd., Tamil Nadu, Prof. Sheeva Dubey, FLAME University, Pune, M. Krishna, Managing Director, Kam-Avida Enviro Engineers Pvt. Ltd., Smriti Pandey, Consultant, NITI Aayog, to name a few.
