Lok Sabha Question No. 440 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-05
Subject: Cleaning of Manholes
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Aparupa  Poddar

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.440 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.12.2023

## CLEANING OF MANHOLES

## 440. SHRIMATI APARUPA PODDAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government has deployed manhole cleaning robots, if the details thereof; State-wise and if not; the reasons therefor; SO,
- b) whether the Government intends to conduct a survey on the number of manual scavengers and ifnot; the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of manual scavengers identified in the survey conducted in 2018, State-wise;
- (d) the number of deaths occurred while the person was cleaning sewer/septic tank during each of the last five years, State-wise;
- (e) the reasons for which 236 districts have not submitted a report regarding manual scavenging on the *Swachh Abhiyan mobile app; and
- whether any action/fine has been levied on these 236 districts, if SO, the details thereof and if not; the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a): Data of deployment of man hole cleaning robots is not maintained centrally.
- (b): Yes; Sir: Hon ble Supreme Court of India vide Order dated 20.10.2023 in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 324/2020 directed for Nationwide Survey of Manual Scavengers.
- (c): 44,217 manual scavengers have been identified in National Survey of Manual Scavengers initiated in 2018 at the behest of the NITI Aayog:   State-wise details of identified manual scavengers is at Annexure-I
- (d): The Number of death occurred while cleaning of sewer/septic tanks during last five years and current year is given at Annexure-II
- (e) and (f): the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual   Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act; 2013 (MS Act; 2013)" manual scavenging is a prohibited activity in the country  with effect from 6.12.2013. AIL districts  have been   requested   either to declare themselves free from manual scavenging O upload the data of insanitary latrine and manual scavengers associated with it on " Swachhta Abhiyan Mobile As on 29.11.2023, out of 766 districts in the country, 714 districts, have reported themselves as manual scavenging-free. App:

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## Annexure-| referred in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No: 440 for answer on 05.12.2023 regarding Cleaning of Manholes

## Number of Manual Scavenges identified under National Survey in 2018

| SNO.   | State           |   Number of Identified Manual Scavenges |
|--------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh  |                                    1734 |
| 3      | Assam           |                                    3771 |
|        | Gujarat         |                                     105 |
|        | Jharkhand       |                                     192 |
|        | Karnataka       |                                    2238 |
|        | Kerala          |                                     518 |
|        | Madhya Pradesh_ |                                     474 |
|        | Maharashtra     |                                    6325 |
|        | Punjab_         |                                     141 |
| 10     | Rajasthan       |                                    2340 |
| 11     | Tamil Nadu      |                                      56 |
| 12     | Uttar Pradesh   |                                   20884 |
| 13     | Uttarakhand     |                                    4854 |
| 14     | West Bengal     |                                     585 |
|        | Grand Total     |                                   44217 |

## 440 answer on 05.12.2023 regarding Cleaning of Manholes for

## Details of death occurred in cleaning of sewers and septic tanks during last five years and Current year (2018-2023)

| S    | Name of StatelUTs    | 2018   | 2019   | 2020   | 2021   | 2022   | 2023 (As on 20.11.2023)   |
|------|----------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------------------------|
| 1 _  | Andhra Pradesh       | 9      | 0      | 0      | 2      | 3      |                           |
| 2.   | Bihar                | 0      |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 3    | Chadg                |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
|      |                      | 0      |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 5.   | Delhi                | 11     | 12     | 4      |        |        |                           |
| 6.   | Dadra Nagar & Haveli |        | 0      |        |        |        |                           |
|      | Goa                  |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
|      | Gujarat_             | 10     | 22     |        |        |        |                           |
| 9    | Haryana              |        | 16     |        |        |        |                           |
| 10_  | Jharkhand            |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 12   |                      |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
|      |                      |        | 9      |        |        |        |                           |
| 13   | Madavashtadesh       |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 19.  | Tamil Nadu           | 10     | H      | H      |        |        |                           |
| 20.  | Telangana            |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 21.  | Tripura              |        |        |        |        |        |                           |
| 22 . | Uttar Pradesh        |        | 3      |        |        |        |                           |
| 23.  | Uttarakhand          | 8      |        |        |        |        | 0                         |
| 24.  | West Bengal          |        | 2      |        |        |        | 3                         |
|      | Total                | 76     | 133    | 35     | 66     | 84     | 49                        |