Lok Sabha Question No. 1513 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-09
Subject: Compensation for  Manual Scavenging Workers
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: Shri Deepender Singh Hooda

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE  A}TD EMPOWERMENT

## LOKSABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.1513 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2025

## COMPENSATION FOR MANUAL SCAVENGING  WORKERS

## 1513. SHRI DEEPENDER  SINGH HOODA:

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

- (a) whether the Govemment has data on the number of deaths  of manual scavenging workers during the last ten years and if so, the details thereof,  year and Statefunion  Territory-wise, if not, the reasons  therefor;
- (b) whether any compensation  has been granted  to the families  of the deceased workers  and if so, the details of such compensation,  and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Govemment has conducted any audit or assessment regarding  the implementation  of the Prohibition of Employment  as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act,2013  and ifso, the findings thereof  and if not, the reasons therefor;  and
- (d) the time-bound  roadmap along with milestones prepared by the Govemment to completely eradicate  manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning  and make sanitation  work frrlly mechanised?

## AI{SWER

## MINISTEROF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE  AIiD EMPOWERMENT (sHRr RAMDAS ATHAWALE)

- (a) & (b): No death has been reported due to Manual Scavenging.

(c):  No, Sir.

Various provisions of "Prohibition of Employment  as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation  Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)" stipulate  for constitution of the following Commissior/Committees for monitoring  and effective implementation of the Act:-

- i. Cenhal Monitoring Committee, State Level Monitoring Committee and Vigilance Committee  at District and Sub-Division  Level.
- iii. State Commission  for Safai Karamcharis  or State Commission  for the Scheduled Castes  or such other statutory institution  to perform the function  of State Commission for Safai  Karamcharis.
- ii. National  Commission  for Safai Karamcharis  (NCSK)  is mandated to monitor implementation of various  provisions of the MS Act, 2013.
- iv. State Governments  and Union Territories have been requested to implement the provisions  of the Act.

(d): As per the provisions of the "kohibition  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  after 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 ofthe practice  ofmanual scavenging has been received  from StatesAJT.

To tackle hazardous cleaning of Sewer and Septic Tanks, Departrnent  of Social Justice and Empowerment  in convergence with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs  launched  the 'National Action for Mechanised  Sanitation  Ecosystem  (NAMASTE)"  Scheme  in 2023-24 for implementation  in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country. The objective  is to ensure safety and dignity of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs)  and to empower  them socially and economically.  The aim is to achieve zerc fatality  in sanitation  work and to ensure  that no sanitation  workers  come in direct  contact with human faecal matter.

The scheme  envisages  the provision  of :-

- . Personal Protective  Equipment  (PPE) kits, Ayushman  Bharat  - Pradhan  Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards and occupation  safety training  to sewer and septic  tank workers.
- . Safety  devices  to Emergency  Response Sanitation Units  (ERSUs)
- . Upfront Capital  Subsidy for sanitation  related machinery to sanitation workers; their groups  ofmaximum  five persons  and Private Sanitation  Service Operators (PSSOs).
- . Organising  Workshops  on prevention  of hazardous  cleaning  of sewer and septic tanks.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs  (MoHUA)  launched Swachh Bharat  Mission  -  Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 on lst, October,  2021. lt includes  a new component i.e. Used Water Management (UWM) with one of the objectives  of eradication  of hazardous entry irtto sewers and septic tanks and sustaining elimination of manual cleaning, through mechanization of sewer and septic tank cleaning  operations.

Ministry  of Housing and Urban  Affairs has also issued the following advisory for safe cleaning of sewer and septic tanks:-

- i. Standard  Operating  Procedures  (SOP) for cleaning  ofSewer or Septic  tank.
- ii. Advisory for technical and managerial  interventions for ensuring  safety during sewer and septic tank cleaning  through  Emergency  Response Sanitation  Unit (ERSU).
- iii.  Ready Reckoner for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for ensuring safety of sanitation workers.
- iv. Organising Safaimitra Suraksha  Shivirs nationwide through ULBs to provide health checkups  and linkages  to social welfare schemes.

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