Lok Sabha Question No. 2722 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-15
Subject: Manual Scavenging
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO

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

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2722 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2015

## 2722. MANUAL SCAVENGING

## SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the practice of manual scavenging within the country despite a law enacted in this regard, if so, the details thereof, State-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b)  whether  any  survey  has  been  undertaken  to  determine  the  number  of  people/victims  of manual scavenging, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of people punished, if any, under the existing law for this malpractice during the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and
- (d) the steps being taken to curb such inhumane practice and to replace manual scavenging with some alternative employment?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

## (SHRI VIJAY SAMPLA)

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. 'Houselisting and Housing Census, 2011' data released by the Registrar General  of  India  in  March,  2012,  has,  inter  alia,  provided  number  of  households  by  type  of latrine facility, including latrines from which night soil is manually removed. According to this data, such latrines existed in all States/Union Territories except in the States of Goa, Sikkim, and the  UTs  of  Chandigarh  and  Lakshadweep.  Existence  of  manually  serviced  latrines  in  the States/UTs points to the fact that the practice of manual scavenging is yet to be eliminated there.

As  per  the  Socio  Economic  and  Caste  Census  2011  (SECC-2011)  data  of  manual scavengers released by the Ministry of Rural Development on 03.07.2015, there were 1,82,505 manual scavengers in the rural areas of the country. State-wise details age given in Annexure-I SECC-2011  data  of  manual  scavengers  is  based  on  respondent  input  as  revealed  by  the households  to  the  enumerator.  Under  the  'Prohibition  of  Employment  as  Manual  Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)' which has come into force with effect from 06.12.2013, the claim of any person of being a manual scavenger is to be got verified by the local authority for inclusion in the list of identified manual scavengers to become eligible for rehabilitation as per the provisions of the MS Act, 2013. Accordingly, the State Governments and  Union  Territory  Administrations  have  been  requested  to  verify  the  SECC-2011  data  of manual  scavengers  and  upload  the  list  of  identified  manual  scavengers  on  the  website www.mssuvey.nic.in for their rehabilitation.

As per the latest information available on the basis of survey undertaken so far, 12,226 manual scavengers have been identified in 12 States, State-wise details of which are given in the Annexure-II.

(c): The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment does not maintain the statistics of such cases.  As  per  Section  21  of  the  'Prohibition  of  Employment  as  Manual  Scavengers  and  their Rehabilitation  Act,  2013'  (MS  Act,  2013),  Executive  Magistrates  who  have  been  conferred judicial powers of first class are empowered to try any offences committed under the Act. (d): The sole cause for manual scavenging is the existence of insanitary latrines. Section 5 of the MS Act, 2013 prohibits construction of insanitary latrines and engaging of manual scavengers from the date of commencement of the Act i.e. 06.12.2013. The Act provides for identification of  insanitary  latrines  and  their  demolition/conversion  into  sanitary  latrines  on  a  time  bound basis. The Municipalities, Cantonment Boards and Railway authorities have been mandated to construct adequate number of community sanitary latrines within a period of three years from the date of commencement of the Act to eliminate the practice of open defecation. The Act also provides for identification and rehabilitation of the existing manual scavengers, which includes skill  development  training  with  stipend  and  concessional  loan  for  taking  up  an  alternative occupation on sustainable basis.

******

Annexrue-I

| Socio Economic and Caste Census-2011 Number of Households Any Member Belonging to Manual Scavenger (Rural)   | Socio Economic and Caste Census-2011 Number of Households Any Member Belonging to Manual Scavenger (Rural)   | Socio Economic and Caste Census-2011 Number of Households Any Member Belonging to Manual Scavenger (Rural)   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Zone                                                                                                         | Code with States/ UTs Name                                                                                   | Number of Manual Scavanger                                                                                   |
| All India                                                                                                    |                                                                                                              | 182505                                                                                                       |
| North Total                                                                                                  |                                                                                                              | 14898                                                                                                        |
| North                                                                                                        | 01 - JAMMU & KASHMIR                                                                                         | 2904                                                                                                         |
| North                                                                                                        | 02 - HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                                                        | 1                                                                                                            |
| North                                                                                                        | 03 - PUNJAB                                                                                                  | 11951                                                                                                        |
| North                                                                                                        | 06 - HARYANA                                                                                                 | 42                                                                                                           |
| East Total                                                                                                   |                                                                                                              | 14411                                                                                                        |
| East                                                                                                         | 10 - BIHAR                                                                                                   | 7268                                                                                                         |
| East                                                                                                         | 19 - WEST BENGAL                                                                                             | 2526                                                                                                         |
| East                                                                                                         | 20 - JHARKHAND                                                                                               | 4153                                                                                                         |
| East                                                                                                         | 21 - ODISHA                                                                                                  | 464                                                                                                          |
| West Total                                                                                                   |                                                                                                              | 68681                                                                                                        |
| West                                                                                                         | 08 - RAJASTHAN                                                                                               | 3498                                                                                                         |
| West                                                                                                         | 24 - GUJARAT                                                                                                 | 2                                                                                                            |
| West                                                                                                         | 27 - MAHARASHTRA                                                                                             | 65181                                                                                                        |
| West                                                                                                         | 30 - GOA                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                            |
| South Total                                                                                                  |                                                                                                              | 16362                                                                                                        |
| South                                                                                                        | 28 - ANDHRA PRADESH                                                                                          | 388                                                                                                          |
| South                                                                                                        | 29 - KARNATAKA                                                                                               | 15375                                                                                                        |
| South                                                                                                        | 32 - KERALA                                                                                                  | 100                                                                                                          |
| South                                                                                                        | 33 - TAMILNADU                                                                                               | 334                                                                                                          |
| South                                                                                                        | 28 - TELANGANA                                                                                               | 165                                                                                                          |
| Central Total                                                                                                |                                                                                                              | 41516                                                                                                        |
| Central                                                                                                      | 05 - UTTARAKHAND                                                                                             | 483                                                                                                          |
| Central                                                                                                      | 09 - UTTAR PRADESH                                                                                           | 17388                                                                                                        |
| Central                                                                                                      | 22 - CHHATTISGARH                                                                                            | 540                                                                                                          |
| Central                                                                                                      | 23 - MADHYA PRADESH                                                                                          | 23105                                                                                                        |
| North Eastern Total                                                                                          |                                                                                                              | 20083                                                                                                        |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 11 - SIKKIM                                                                                                  | 51                                                                                                           |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 12 - ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                                                       | 1286                                                                                                         |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 13 - NAGALAND                                                                                                | 274                                                                                                          |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 14 - MANIPUR                                                                                                 | 1                                                                                                            |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 15 - MIZORAM                                                                                                 | 1025                                                                                                         |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 16 - TRIPURA                                                                                                 | 17333                                                                                                        |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 17 - MEGHALAYA                                                                                               | 113                                                                                                          |
| North Eastern                                                                                                | 18 - ASSAM                                                                                                   | 0                                                                                                            |
| UT Total                                                                                                     |                                                                                                              | 6554                                                                                                         |
| UT                                                                                                           | 04 - CHANDIGARH                                                                                              | 0                                                                                                            |
| UT                                                                                                           | 07 - NCT OF DELHI                                                                                            | 6                                                                                                            |
| UT                                                                                                           | 25 - DAMAN AND DIU                                                                                           | 6277                                                                                                         |
| UT                                                                                                           | 26 - DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI                                                                                    | 142                                                                                                          |
| UT UT                                                                                                        | 31 - LAKSHADWEEP                                                                                             | 1                                                                                                            |
| UT                                                                                                           | 34 - PUDUCHERRY 35 - ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS                                                               | 66 62                                                                                                        |

Annexure  -II,  referred  reply  to  parts  (a)  &  (b)  of  Lok  Sabha  unstarred question No. 2722 for answer on 15.12.2015 regarding Manual Scavenging

## Annexure-II

| State-wise details of identified Manual Scavengers   | State-wise details of identified Manual Scavengers   | State-wise details of identified Manual Scavengers   |
|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| Urban-A                                              | Urban-A                                              | Urban-A                                              |
| S.No.                                                | State                                                | Identified Manual Scavengers                         |
| 1.                                                   | Andhra Pradesh                                       | 124                                                  |
| 2.                                                   | Bihar                                                | 137                                                  |
| 3.                                                   | Chhattisgarh                                         | 3                                                    |
| 4.                                                   | Karnataka                                            | 302                                                  |
| 5.                                                   | Madhya Pradesh                                       | 36                                                   |
| 6.                                                   | Odisha                                               | 237                                                  |
| 7.                                                   | Punjab                                               | 86                                                   |
| 8.                                                   | Rajasthan                                            | 577                                                  |
| 9.                                                   | Tamil Nadu                                           | 462                                                  |
| 10.                                                  | Uttar Pradesh                                        | 2404                                                 |
| 11.                                                  | Uttarakhand                                          | 137                                                  |
| 12.                                                  | West Bengal                                          | 104                                                  |
| Total-A 4609 Rural-B                                 | Total-A 4609 Rural-B                                 | Total-A 4609 Rural-B                                 |
| 1                                                    | Punjab                                               | 5                                                    |
| 2                                                    | Uttar Pradesh                                        | 7612                                                 |
| Total-B                                              | Total-B                                              | 7617                                                 |
| Grand Total (A+B)                                    | Grand Total (A+B)                                    | 12226                                                |