Lok Sabha Question No. 37 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-19
Subject: Safety of Sewerage and Septic Tank Cleaning Workers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Subrata Pathak, Manoj Kumar Tiwari

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

STARRED QUESTION NO. *37 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2022

## SAFETY OF SEWERAGE AND SEPTIC TANK CLEANING WORKERS

## *37. SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK: SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that sewerage and septic tank cleaning workers are still working in pathetic conditions and often lose their life while on job;
- (6) if so, the details thereof and the total number ofsuch workers who died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks each of the last five years and the current year, State-wise; during
- whether the Government has any proposal to formulate a scheme to introduce sustainable solutions to prevent the deaths of workers while cleaning the sewers and septic tanks and if the details and the salient features thereof alongwith the action proposed/ taken with the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) in this regard; SO,
- (d) the time by which such scheme is likely to be implemented; and
- (e) the details of other measures taken/being taken by the Government for the safety of sewer and septic tanks cleaners?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(DR VIRENDRA KUMAR)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Statement refecred jn reply to parts (a) to (e) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No37 for answer on 19.07.2022 raised by Shri Subrat Pathak and Shri Manoj Tiwari regarding of Sewerage and Septic Tank Cleaning Workers". "Safety

(2) and (b); The Government takes a serious cognizance of the deaths occurring due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and non observance of safety precautionsng prescribedatades the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rulec,201341

State-wise details of persons who are reported to have died due to hazardous cleaning of and tanks the last five and current years are at Annexure. sewers septic

(c) and (d): CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) an integrated   solution for   mechanized drain cleaning  in a scientific way in line with   <The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013".

The mechanized sewage cleaning system has been developed for urban and local bodies with a population density 5000. It can clean the blockage of up to 300 mm sewer line. The system is equipped with dispensing unit for sludge collection, & multistage mechanical filtration, high-pressure jetting system, desilting mechanism and post-cleaning inspection unit  The main features of the system are to collect the sludge (Grey) water; filtration of the (grey) water for utilization in the blockage cleaning; the high-pressure multi-jet cleaning system to suit the tough   Indian  blockage conditions and the hydraulically  operated  desilting  mechanism with moveable type collection bucket to remove the silt from the manhole and collect in the collection bucket. The technology has been transferred to industries for its production and commercialization; slurry sludge

(e): The Government has formulated a scheme 'National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) The NAMASTE project; is a joint project of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs The project aims to achieve the following outcomes:

- a. Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
- C. No sanitation workers should come in direct contact with human faecal matter:
- b. All sanitation work to be performed by skilled workers
- d. Sanitation workers are to be collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises:
5. Sewer and   Septic tank sanitation workers   (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods:
6. Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and ULB levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work
7. g Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers.
2. The following measures have been taken for the benefit of sanitation workers and their
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 per unit
- 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 Standard Operating Procedure and safety precautions for safe and healthy cleaning of sewers and tanks, use of PPE Kits etc. septic
11. 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 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 septic
13. NSKFDC also organises health camps in the basties of identified manual scavengers and sanitation workers   During these camps, free medical health check-Up 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. examine the patients.

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Annexure referred in reply to parts (a) to (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 37 for 19.07.2022 regarding Safety of Sewerage and Septic Tank Cleaning Workers

Year-wise and State-wise details of death of persons during last five years and current year due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks

| S. No_   | Name of State/UT   | 2017               | 2018               | 2019               | 2020               | 2021               | 2022               |
|----------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| S. No_   | Name of State/UT   | Total No. of death | Total No. of death | Total No. of death | Total No. of death | Total No_ of death | Total No. of death |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh     | 2                  | 9                  | 2                  | 0                  | 0                  | 0                  |
| 2        | Bihar              | 2                  | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    |                    |
| 3        | Chhatisgarh        | 0                  |                    | 0                  |                    |                    |                    |
| 4        | Chandigarh         | 3                  | 0                  | 0                  |                    |                    | ;                  |
| 5_       | Delhi              | 13                 | 11                 | 10                 |                    |                    |                    |
| 6,       | Gujarat            | 7                  | 2                  | 14                 |                    |                    | 2                  |
| 7_       | Haryana            | 11                 | 6                  | 14                 |                    | 5                  |                    |
| 8        | Karnataka          | 3                  |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
| 9_       | Kerala             |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
|          |                    |                    |                    | 15                 |                    |                    |                    |
| 10       | Madayashtadesh     | 1                  |                    |                    |                    |                    |                    |
| 13       |                    |                    |                    | 8                  |                    |                    |                    |
| 14.      | Rajasthan          |                    |                    | 5                  |                    |                    | 0                  |
| 15.      | Tamil Nadu         |                    |                    | 13                 |                    |                    | 5                  |
| 16.      | Telangana          |                    | 2                  | 0                  |                    |                    | 0                  |
| 17.      | Uttar Pradesh      | 13                 | 8                  | 26                 |                    |                    | 4                  |
| 18.      | West Bengal        | 9                  | 0                  | 6                  | 0                  | 4                  | 0                  |
|          | Total              | 92                 | 67                 | 116                | 19                 | 36                 | 17                 |