Lok Sabha Question No. 1931 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-11
Subject: National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem Scheme
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri E T Mohammed Basheer

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1931 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.03.2025

## NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR MECHANISED SANITATION ECOSYSTEM SCHEME

## 1931. SHRI E T MOHAMMED BASHEER:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Eco System that the National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem Scheme (NAMASTE) is lacking behind;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that manual scavenging, despite being legally banned, continues to persist in various parts of the country, including within the Indian Railways, and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the number of manual scavengers identified and rehabilitated under Government schemes and assistance provided during the last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (e) the total number of deaths reported due to manual scavenging-related work, including deaths while cleaning railway tracks, sewers, and septic tanks, from 2019 to 2024, State/UTwise; and

(f) whether Indian Railways continues to employ or contract workers for manual scavenging activities, including cleaning of human waste, if so, the details thereof along with the details of the other steps taken to stop such cases in future?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b): Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in convergence with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with an objective to ensure safety and dignity to Safai Karmacharis and to empower them socially and economically has formulated the "National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)" Scheme, which was launched in 2023-24 for its implementation in all 4800+ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country. The achievements of NAMASTE scheme in the country are as under:-

- 66,961 Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) have been validated across 34 States/UT. For Odisha and Tamil Nadu the process for integrating available data into central NAMASTE data base has been initiated.
- Total 45,292 PPE kits & 354 Safety Devices Kit for Emergency Response Sanitation Units have been supplied/ordered.
- Ayushman cards have been made available to 15,160 beneficiaries.
- Capital Subsidy of Rs.17.23 crore released to 599 sanitation workers and their dependents for sanitation related projects.
- Capital Subsidy of Rs. 4.04 crore released for 273 beneficiaries and their dependents belonging to Manual Scavenger category under NAMASTE to take up alternate self employment projects.
- 1000 workshops have been conducted on Prevention of Hazardous Cleaning of Sewer and Septic Tanks in Municipal Corporation/Municipality/Nagar Palika and other such organization engaging Sewer and septic tank cleaning workers since FY 2023-24.

(c) & (d): As per the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)" manual scavenging is a banned activity in the country with effect from 6.12.2013. No person or agency can engage or employ any person for manual scavenging from the above date. Any person or agency who engages any person for manual scavenging in violation of the provisions of the MS Act, 2013 is punishable under Section 8 of the above Act, with imprisonment upto 2 years or fine upto Rs. One Lakh or both.

No report of the practice of manual scavenging has been received from the districts including from Indian Railways during last five years. Two surveys have been conducted for identification of Manual Scavengers in 2013 and 2018. As per these two surveys, 58,098 eligible manual scavengers have been identified.

Under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) envisaged for rehabilitation of manual scavengers, the following benefits have been extended:- a. One-time Cash Assistance of Rs. 40,000/- per family has been provided to all identified and eligible 58,098 manual scavengers.

b. Capital Subsidy upto Rs. 5,00,000/- has been provided to 2,544 manual scavengers and their dependents to take up alternate self employment projects.

C. Skill Development Training has been provided to 24,294 identified manual scavengers and their dependents with a stipend @ Rs. 3,000/- per month during the training period.

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(e): No death has been reported due to Manual Scavenging which is lifting of human excreta from Insanitary latrines.

Deaths have occurred in States/UTs due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and non observance of safety precautions as prescribed under the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and MS Rules, 2013".

As per information provided by National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), the details of sanitation workers who have lost their lives due to hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks from 2019 to 2024, State/UT-wise, are at Annexure.

(f): The station/platform and coach cleaning activities are carried out through mechanized means. Further, bio-toilets have been installed in all passenger coaches of Indian Railway system.

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Annexure referred in reply to part (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1931 for answer on 11.03.2025 regarding National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem Scheme.

## Statement of sewer/septic tank death since 2019 to 2024 (Calender year wise)

|    | S.No Name of State/UT   | 2019   | 2020   | 2021   | 2022   | 2023   | 2024   |
|----|-------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| 1  | Andhra Pradesh          |        |        | 2      | 3      |        |        |
| 2  | Bihar                   |        |        |        |        | 2      |        |
| 3  | Dadra and Nagar Haveli  |        |        | 3      |        |        |        |
| 4  | Delhi                   | 12     | 4      | 4      | 10     |        | 7      |
| 5  | Goa                     |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 6  | [Gujarat                |        |        |        |        |        |        |
|    | Haryana                 | 16     |        |        |        |        |        |
|    | Jharkhand               | oN-    |        | 0      |        |        |        |
| 9  | Karnataka               |        |        |        |        |        | 2      |
| 10 | Madhya Pradesh          |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 11 | Maharashtra             | 16     |        |        |        |        |        |
| 12 | Odisha                  |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 13 | Punjab                  | 3      |        |        |        |        |        |
| 14 | Rajasthan               | 5      |        |        |        |        |        |
|    | Tamil Nadu              | 22     |        |        |        |        |        |
| 16 | Telangana               |        |        |        |        |        |        |
| 17 | Uttar Pradesh           | 19     |        |        |        |        |        |
| 18 | West Bengal             |        |        |        |        |        |        |
|    | Total                   | 124    |        |        |        |        |        |

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