Lok Sabha Question No. 3850 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-21
Subject: Death of Manual Scanvengers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Bhagirath Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.t3850 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2021

## DEATH OF MANUAL SCANVENGERS

t3850. SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether a number of employees working in urban bodies have lost their lives while cleaning sewers/ tanks across the country during the last five years; septic
- (6) if s0, the total number of people who lost their lives while engaging in sewer cleaning process; the details thereof; State-wise and year-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has formulated any new concrete policy to discontinue the manual cleaning of sewers; if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the latest measures taken by the Government to provide modern equipment; training and uniform to the people engaged in sewer cleaning; the details thereof; State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

- State-wise and year-wise details of persons who are reported to have died due to hazardous   cleaning  of sewers and tanks and non observance of safety   precautions prescribed under the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013" during the last five years are at Annexure-I septic
- (c): A National   Policy for   mechanized Sanitation   Eco-system has been formulated in consultation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Drinking water and Sanitation which envisages, inter alia, the following:
- Appointment of Responsible Sanitation Authority in every District.
- iii. Equipping SRUs with necessary devices, machines and vehicles  required for mechanized cleaning:
- Setting up of Sanitation Response unit (SRU) in each municipality.
- iv. Professionally trained manpower for mechanized cleaning:
- Setting up facilities for evacuation, transportation and treatment of sludge from septic
- V\_ 24x7 helpline to receive complaints regarding blockage of sewers and septic tanks.
- vii. Training to the staff of municipalities and contractors in the mechanized cleaning of sewerslseptic tanks
- (d): National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) has been implementing the following programmes to prevent manual cleaning for sewers & septic tanks and also to provide modern equipment, training etc. to the people engaged in sewerlseptic tank cleaning: -
- i. Under the Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY) concessional loans are provided to sanitation workers and their dependants and the urban local bodies for procurement of sanitation related equipments, machines and vehicles costing upto Rs. 50.00 lakh:
- iii. Under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, free short duration upskilling training is provided to the sanitation workers. The candidates are taught about mechanized cleaning and safety precautions for safe and healthy cleaning of sewers and tanks. septic
- The Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual  Scavengers (SRMS) has been revised from 2020-21 to provide capital subsidy upto Rs 5.00 lakh to sanitation workers and their dependants for sanitation related projects
- iv. Workshops are organised with   officers,   engineers,  sanitary   inspectors,  supervisors, contractors and sanitation workers etc  of urban local bodies and authorities responsible for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks   During the workshops the participants are made aware about the provisions under the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013*, the rules framed thereunder and other provisions for safe and healthy cleaning of sewers and septic tanks
- vi: Under the <Prohibition of Employment as Manual  Scavengers and their Rehabilitation is obliged to provide the safety gear, safety devices ad ensure  safety precautions as prescribed under the Rules.
- V State-wise details of SUY scheme is at Annexure-II and workshops regarding upskilling training is at Annexure-III

Annexure-| referred in reply to parts a) to (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3850 for answer on 21.12.2021 regarding Death manual scavengers.

Year-wise and State-wise details of death of persons during last five years in sewers and septic tanks

| S. No:   | Name of State/UT   | 2017         | 2018         | 2019         | 2020         | 2021         |
|----------|--------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| S. No:   | Name of State/UT   | No. of death | No. of death | No. of death | No. of death | No. of death |
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh     | 2            |              | 2            |              |              |
| 2        | Bihar              | 2            |              |              |              |              |
| 3_       | Chhatisgarh        | 0            |              |              |              |              |
| 4        | Chandigarh         | 3            |              |              | 0            |              |
| 5.       | Delhi              | 13           | 11           | 10           | 4            |              |
| 6.       | Goa                | 0            |              | 0            |              |              |
| 7 .      | Gujarat            | 7            | 2            | 16           |              | 3            |
| 8        | Haryana            | 11           | 6            | 14           |              | 2            |
| 9.       | Karnataka          | 3            | 9            |              | 2            | 5            |
| 10       | Kerala             | 1            |              |              |              |              |
| 11.      | Maharashtra        | 5            | 6            | 15           | 4            |              |
| 12.      | Madhya Pradesh     | 0            | 0            |              |              |              |
| 13       | Punjab             | 10           | 2            | 3            |              |              |
| 14.      | Puducherry         |              |              | 0            |              |              |
| 15.      | Rajasthan          |              | 2            | 5            |              | 0            |
| 16.      | Tamil Nadu         |              | 9            | 13           |              | 5            |
| 17.      | Telangana          |              | 2            | 0            | 0            | 2            |
| 18.      | Tripura            |              |              |              |              | 0            |
| 19.      | Uttar Pradesh      | 15           | 11           | 25           |              |              |
| 20.      | Uttarakhand        |              |              | 0            |              |              |
| 21.      | West Bengal        |              |              | 6            | 0            |              |
| Total    | Total              | 93           | 70           | 117          | 19           | 22           |

Annexure-II referred in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No: 3850 for answer on 21.12.2021 regarding Death of manual scavengers.

State-wise details of sanitation workers assisted during last three years and current financial year for procurement of sanitation related equipmentsIvehicles:

- Concessional loan to sanitation workers\_through \_the State Channelising\_ Agencies:
- Capital Subsidy upto Rs 5.00 lakh provided to sanitation workers against the loans sanctioned by banks for procurement of sanitation related equipmentsIvehicles:

| S.No.   | State          |   No. of sanitation workers assisted |
|---------|----------------|--------------------------------------|
|         | Andhra Pradesh |                                 1383 |
| 2       | Rajasthan      |                                   33 |
|         | Total          |                                 1416 |

| S.No:   | State          | No. of sanitation workers assisted   |
|---------|----------------|--------------------------------------|
| 1       |                | 11                                   |
| 2.      | Andhra Pradesh | 56                                   |
| 3       | Haryana        | 3                                    |
| 4.      | Jharkhand      |                                      |
| 5.      | Madhya Pradesh | 38                                   |
|         | Maharashtra    | 2                                    |
|         | Odisha         | 9                                    |
| 8.      | Telangana      | 8                                    |
| 9_      | Uttar Pradesh  | 13                                   |
|         | Total          | 142                                  |

Annexure-III referred in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No: 3850 for answer on 21.12.2021 regarding Death of manual scavengers:

State-wise details of sanitation workers provided upskilling training (RPL) in sanitation work during last three years and current financial year:

| Achievement RPL training from 2018-19 to 2021-22 (as on 15.12.2021)   | Achievement RPL training from 2018-19 to 2021-22 (as on 15.12.2021)   | Achievement RPL training from 2018-19 to 2021-22 (as on 15.12.2021)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S. No:                                                                |                                                                       | Total                                                                 |
| 1                                                                     | Andhra Pradesh                                                        | 516                                                                   |
| 2                                                                     | Assam                                                                 | 1422                                                                  |
| 3                                                                     | Bihar                                                                 | 2000                                                                  |
| 4                                                                     | kChandigarh                                                           | 200                                                                   |
| 5                                                                     | Chhattisgarh                                                          | 454                                                                   |
| 6                                                                     | Delhi                                                                 | 401                                                                   |
| 7                                                                     | Gujarat                                                               | 1446                                                                  |
|                                                                       | HHaryana                                                              | 1014                                                                  |
|                                                                       | Himachal Pradesh                                                      | 270                                                                   |
| 10                                                                    | IJharkhand                                                            | 529                                                                   |
| 11                                                                    |                                                                       | 441                                                                   |
| 12                                                                    | Karnataka                                                             | 624                                                                   |
| 13                                                                    | Madhya Pradesh                                                        | 3163                                                                  |
|                                                                       | Maharashtra                                                           | 1953                                                                  |
| 15                                                                    | Odisha                                                                | 642                                                                   |
| 16                                                                    | [Punjab                                                               | 701                                                                   |
| 17                                                                    | Rajasthan                                                             | 1183                                                                  |
| 18                                                                    | Tamil Nadu                                                            | 489                                                                   |
| 19                                                                    | [Telangana                                                            | 580                                                                   |
| 20                                                                    | [Tripura_                                                             | 260                                                                   |
| 21                                                                    | Uttar Pradesh                                                         | 4095                                                                  |
| 22                                                                    | Uttarakhand                                                           | 191                                                                   |
| 23                                                                    | West Bengal                                                           | 2035                                                                  |
|                                                                       | TOTAL                                                                 | 24609                                                                 |