Appropriate action is taken on the recommendations of NHRC regarding manual scavenging and the related matters.

As per the two surveys conducted by the local authorities in the year 2013 and 2018, 58,098 persons were working as manual scavengers. Statewise details are at Annexure-I. 

There is no report of death due to manual scavenging. However, we have reports regarding deaths of workers while being engaged in cleaning of sewers or septic tanks. Statewise details of deaths reported by State Governments are at Annexure-II. 

The Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers which is being implemented under the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, has been evaluated in the year 2017-18 and year 2019-20. Based on the recommendations, the Scheme has been revised suitably from the year 2021-22.

 

Rehabilitation benefits under the PEMSR Act 2013 are:-

 

The maximum amount of capital subsidy for self employment projects has been enhanced from Rs. 3.25 lakh to Rs. 5.00 lakh.

1. Sanitation workers and their dependants have also been made eligible for availing assistance for sanitation related projects to contribute to mechanization of sanitation work, including cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. They will be eligible for capital subsidy and interest subsidy for the

• With a view to enable procurement of higher value sanitation related vehicles/machines, the maximum project cost for the group has been fixed at

50.00 lakh.

5. Ministry has started giving health insurance cover upto Rs. 5.00 lakh to all identified manual scavengers and their family members under Ayiishman Bharat

 

The following are the achievements under SRMS:-

 

All the identified and eligible 58,098 manual scavengers have been paid one time cash assistance of Rs. 40,000/- directly into their bank accounts.

1. 16057 manual scavengers and their dependants have been provided skill development training in various

• 1387 manual scavengers, sanitation workers and their dependants have been provided capital subsidy for self employment projects, including sanitation related

                                                                                                                                             Annexure-I

Number of Manual Scavengers Identified

 

S.No.            State   Andhra Pradesh		No. of manual scavengers identified     1793
2	Assam	3921
3	Bihar	131
4	Chhattisgarh	3
5	Gujarat	105
6	Jharkhand	192
7	Karnataka	2927
8	Kerala	518
9	Madhya Pradesh	510
10	Maharashtra	6325
11	Odisha	230
12	Punjab	231 2673
13	Rajasthan
14	Tamilnadu	398
15	Uttar Pradesh	32473
16	Uttarakhand	4988
17	West Bengal	680
Total		58098

 

                                                                                                                                               Annexure-II

 

States/UTs wise details of sewer/septic tank related deaths

 

S. No	Name of State/UT	Total Number of sewer death
1	Andhra Pradesh	23
2	Bihar	2
3	Chhatisgarh
4	Chandigarh	3
5	Delhi	98
6	Goa	6
7	Gujarat	153
8	Haryana	73
9	Kamataka	84
10	Kerala	13
11	Maharashtra	36
12	Madhya Pradesh	10
13	Punjab	41
14	Puducherry	9
15	Rajasthan	41
16	Tamil Nadu	213
17	Telangana	7
18	Tripura	2
19	Uttrakhand	3
20	Uttar Pradesh	104
21	West Bengal	19
	Total	941

 

This information was given by The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.

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MG/IA

(Release ID: 1742357)