The Prohibition of Employment and Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill 2020 envisaged for creation of Sanitation Authority; making State Government responsible for paying compensation in the event of death due to hazardous cleaning activity and mechanization of hazardous cleaning operations.

Since, the above issues have been taken care of under National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Eco-system (NAMASTE) scheme and Swachchh Bharat Mission 2.0, the The amendment Bill was not pursued.
The Department 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 its implementation in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country. The objective is to ensure safety and dignity of Safai Karmacharis and to empower them socially and economically. The aim is to achieve zero fatality in sanitation work and to ensure that no sanitation worker comes in direct contact with human faecal matter.

The interventions under the NAMASTE scheme are as under:-

(i) Profiling and validation of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs);

(ii) PPE kits for SSWs;

(iii) Occupational Training to SSWs;

(iv) Ayushman Bharat – PMJAY cards;

(v) Safety Devices to Emergency Response Sanitation Units;

(vi) Upfront Capital Subsidy to SSWs and Private Sanitation Service Operators for sanitation related machine /equipment;

(vii) Workshop on hazardous cleaning operations

Achievements under NAMASTE scheme are as under:-

•  89,104 Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) have been validated.

•  85,743 PPE kits for SSWs & 653 Safety Devices Kit for Emergency Response Sanitation Units have been dispatched to States/UTs.

•  70,950 beneficiaries have been covered under Ayushman Bharat –PMJAY; State Health Scheme and under NAMASTE scheme.

•   Capital Subsidy of Rs. 23.91 Crore released to 782 sanitation workers and their dependents for sanitation related projects.

•   1188 workshops have been conducted on Prevention of Hazardous Cleaning of Sewer and Septic Tanks.

This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT, SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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