The Union Cabinet has recently given the nod to extend the tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) for three additional years, beyond the 31st of March, 2022. NCSK’s extended tenure will significantly benefit the Safai Karamcharis and identified manual scavengers across the country. Manual scavenging, in this context, is defined as the removal of human excrement from public streets and latrines, cleaning of gutters, septic tanks, and sewers.
About the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK)
Established in 1993 under provisions of the NCSK Act, the NCSK is responsible for making recommendations to the Government about welfare programs for Safai Karamcharis. The authority of the NCSK Act ceased on 29th February, 2004. Since then, the NCSK’s tenure has been periodically extended as a non-statutory body. The commission’s functioning includes studying, evaluating welfare programmes for Safai Karamcharis, investigating cases of specific grievances, and more.
Under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the NCSK has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Act, providing advice for its effective implementation to the Central and State Governments and probing into complaints regarding contravention or non-implementation of the Act’s provisions.
Conditions of Safai Karamcharis
The Chairpersons and members of the Commission often undertake tours around the country to study the socio-economic and living conditions of Safai Karamcharis and their dependents. In connection with these complaints or petitions, the commission calls for factual reports from the concerned authorities.
According to NCSK data from 2020, a total of 631 individuals have lost their lives while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last decade. The year 2019 saw the highest number of manual scavenging deaths in the previous five years, with 110 workers losing their lives – a 61% increase compared to 2018’s 68 cases of similar deaths.
Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989
The Prevention of Atrocities Act integrated protection for sanitation workers in 1989. Approximately 90% of manual scavengers belonged to the Scheduled Caste. This act helped free manual scavengers from designated traditional occupations.
Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge
Launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on World Toilet Day in 2020, the government initiated this challenge for all states to mechanize sewer-cleaning by April 2021. In unavoidable emergencies where humans must enter sewer lines, proper gear and oxygen tanks are to be provided.
‘Swachhta Abhiyan App’
This application has been developed to identify and geotag data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers. It allows the replacement of insanitary latrines with sanitary latrines and helps rehabilitate manual scavengers to provide them dignity of life.
National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation
Operating under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this not-for-profit organization aims to uplift Safai Karamcharis, Scavengers, and their dependents socially and economically.
SC Judgment 2014 & Prohibition of Employment of Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013
A 2014 order from the Supreme Court mandated the government to identify and provide a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each to the families of those who died in sewage work since 1993.
The Act prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines. It prescribes mechanized cleaning of septic tanks and seeks to rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them alternative employment. An amendment to this Bill was introduced in 2020.