Lok Sabha Question No. 3453 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-17
Subject: Welfare and Profiling of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

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

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3453 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2024

## WELFARE AND PROFILING OF SEWER AND SEPTIC TANK WORKERS

## 3453. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has prepared any data about the sewer and septic tank workers and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is also a fact that most of these workers belong to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Classes;
- (c) if so, the remedial measures being taken to reverse this trend; and
- (d) the present status of the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) to stop the death of these workers due to hazardous cleaning and ensure the safety of sanitation workers?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (c): The current profiled Sewer and Septic Tank Workers in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across India, is 57,758.

Sewer and Septic Tank Cleaning work is an occupation based activity rather than caste based.

The category wise composition of the validated Sewer and Septic Tanks Workers (SSWs) under "National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)" scheme in States/UTs are as under:-

| Caste/Category   | No. of SSWs   | %age        |
|------------------|---------------|-------------|
| 4,391            | 8.05          | General     |
| 8.587            | 15.73         | OBC         |
| 37,060           | 67.91         | SC          |
| 4,536            | 8.31          | ST          |
|                  | 54,574        | Grand Total |

(d): Ministry 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+ ULBs of the country.

## The status of NAMASTE scheme is as under:-

- 57,758 Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) have been profiled and out of which 54,574 have been validated across 33 States/UT. For Odisha and Tamil Nadu the process for integrating available data into central NAMASTE data base has been initiated.
- Total 16,791 PPE kits & 43 Safety Devices Kit for Emergency Response Sanitation Units have been supplied.
- Ayushman cards have been made available to 13,604 beneficiaries.
- Capital Subsidy of Rs.13.96 Crore released to 503 sanitation workers and their dependents for sanitation related projects.
- Capital Subsidy of Rs. 2.85 Crore released for 226 beneficiaries and their dependents belonging to Manual Scavenger category under NAMASTE to take up alternate self employment projects.
- 837 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.

In addition, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has issued comprehensive advisories and guidelines to all States and UTs from time to time on safety procedures for maintaining sewers and septic tanks, Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) set up and machinery requirements. Under the SBM-U 2.0, MoHUA has sanctioned INR 371 Crores to 26 States/UTs for procuring desludging vehicles. 2,585 desludging vehicles have been sanctioned so far.

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