Lok Sabha Question No. 3057 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Death of Sanitation Workers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Geetha Viswanath Vanga, Andimuthu Raja, Y. S. Avinash Reddy, Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3057 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.03.2022

## DEATH OF SANITATION WORKERS

## 3057. SHRIMATI VANGA GEETHA VISWANATH:

SHRI A: RAJA:

SHRI YS: AVINASH REDDY:

SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

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

- (a) the number of sanitation workers who died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks during the last five years, State wise along with reasons therefor;
- 1) the compensation to the families of victims; paid
- the steps being taken on working of the national policy for mechanised sanitation to protect the interests of workers; and
- whether the Government has taken any   step to assist   companies/workers to protect themselves along with insurancelmedical facilities with concessional loans to equipment for therefor? buy

## ANSWER

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

- (a) (b): State-wise and year-wise details of persons who are reported to have died due to hazardous   cleaning of sewers and   septic 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.
- (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.
- Setting up of Sanitation Response Unit (SRU) in each municipality.
- iii. Equipping SRUs with necessary devices, machines and vehicles required for mechanized cleaning:
- V 24x7 helpline to receive complaints regarding blockage of sewers and tanks. septic
- iv. Professionally trained manpower for mechanized cleaning:
- vi. Setting up facilities for evacuation, transportation and treatment of sludge from septic tanks:
- vii: Training to the staff of municipalities and contractors in the mechanized cleaning of sewerslseptic tanks

(d): The following measures have been  taken to promote 100% mechanization,  specially cleaning of sewers, tanks, desilting of drains, garbage lifting, sludge handling, solid and medical waste disposal etc. and for the benefit of sanitation workers (including waste pickers) and their dependants to provide sustainable livelihood: septic

- 1 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: 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. State-wise details of number of sanitation workers assisted under these schemes are given at Annexure-II:
- ii. Under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, free short duration upskilling training is   provided to the sanitation workers: The candidates are trained about mechanized cleaning and safety precautions for safe and healthy cleaning of sewers and tanks. septic
- iii: 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 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 tanks. septic septic
- iv. NSKFDC also organises health camps in the basties of identified manual scavengers and sanitation workers. etc is facilitated to the target group of the NSKFDC. Further, need based free medicines & spectacles are provided to the target group during the camps The doctors of different disciplines i.e. Eyes, General physician and Gynecologist etc. check the patients.

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## Annexure-I referred in reply to parts a) to (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3057 for answer on 22.03.2022 regarding Death of Sanitation Workers

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

| S No:   | Name of StatelUT   | 2017               | 2017               | 2018               | 2018                |                    |                    | 2020               | 2020               | 2021               | 2021               |
|---------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| S No:   | Name of StatelUT   | Total of death No. | Compensati on paid | Total No_ of death | (Compensati on paid | Total No. of death | Compensat ion paid | Total No_ of death | Compensa tion paid | Total No. of death | Compensat ion paid |
|         | Andhra Pradesh     | 2                  | 2                  | 9                  |                     | 2                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  |                    |
| 2       | Bihar              |                    |                    | 0                  | 0                   |                    | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    |
| 3       | Chbadsgarth        |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
|         |                    |                    |                    |                    | 0                   |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
| 5_      | Delhi              | 13                 | 12                 |                    | 10                  | 3                  |                    |                    |                    |                    | 4                  |
|         | Goa                |                    |                    |                    |                     | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    |                    | 0                  |
|         | Gujarat            |                    | 5                  |                    | 2                   | 16                 | 13                 |                    |                    |                    | 3                  |
| 8       | Haryana            |                    | 11                 |                    |                     | 14                 | 10                 |                    |                    |                    | 2                  |
| 9_      | Karnataka          |                    | 3                  |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    | 5                  |
| 10      |                    |                    | 1                  |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
|         | Keharashtra        |                    |                    |                    |                     | 3                  |                    |                    |                    |                    | 0                  |
|         | Pradesh            |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
|         |                    |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    | 2                  |
|         |                    |                    | 10                 |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
|         |                    |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    | 0                  |
| 16.     | Rajasthan          |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    | 0                  |
| 17      | Tamil Nadu         |                    |                    |                    |                     | 13                 | 13                 |                    |                    |                    | 5                  |
|         | Tapurgana          |                    |                    |                    |                     |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
| 18      |                    |                    |                    |                    |                     | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    |                    | 2                  |
| 20.     | Uttar Pradesh      |                    |                    |                    |                     | 26                 | 23                 |                    |                    | A                  | 0                  |
| 21.     | Uttarakhand        |                    |                    |                    |                     | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    |                    | 0                  |
| 22.     | West Bengal        | 7                  | 7                  | 0                  | 0                   | 6                  | 2                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  |                    |
|         | Total              | 94                 | 83                 | 70                 | 63                  | 118                | 92                 | 19                 | 14                 | 24                 | 24                 |

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## Annexure-Il

Annexure-Il referred in reply to part (d) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3057 for 22.03.2022 regarding Death of Sanitation Workers:

## State-wise\_details\_of\_sanitation\_workers\_assisted\_for\_procurement\_of\_sanitation related equipmentslvehicles

- A. State-wise details of sanitation workers assisted through the State   Channelising Agencies: by concessional loans since 2014-15 for procurement of sanitation related equipmentsIvehicles under Swachhta Udyami Yojana (SUY) of NSKFDC:
- B. State-wise details of sanitation workers provided Capital Subsidy upto Rs. 5.00 lakh against the loans sanctioned by banks for procurement of sanitation related equipmentsIvehicles under Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS): (Implemented from 2020-2021)

| S.No.   | State          | No of sanitation workers assisted   |
|---------|----------------|-------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh | 1603                                |
| 2       | Kerala         | 10                                  |
| 3       | J & K          | 100                                 |
| 4       | Madhya Pradesh | 9                                   |
| 5_      | Nagaland       | 3                                   |
| 6.      | Odisha         |                                     |
| 7_      | Rajasthan      | 33                                  |
| 8       | West Bengal    | 35                                  |
|         | Total          | 1800                                |

| S.No.   | State          | No: of sanitation workers assisted   |
|---------|----------------|--------------------------------------|
| 1 _     | A & N Islands  | 11                                   |
| 2.      | Andhra Pradesh | 82                                   |
| 3.      | Haryana        |                                      |
|         |                | 3                                    |
|         | Maharashtra    |                                      |
| 6       | Odisha         | 19                                   |
|         | Telangana      | 10                                   |
| 9_      | Uttar Pradesh  | 18                                   |
|         | Total          | 194                                  |