As per Section 2 (1) (g) of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, (MS Act 2013), the definition of manual scavenger is as follows:-

“Manual Scavenger” means a person engaged or employed by an individual or a local authority or a public or private agency, for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or pit into which the human excreta from insanitary latrines is disposed of, or on a railway track or in such other spaces or premises, as the Central Government or a State Government may notify, before the excreta fully decomposes in such manner as may be prescribed, and the expression “manual scavenging" shall be construed accordingly.”

Two surveys have been conducted in the year 2013 and 2018 to identify the manual scavengers. During these surveys 58,098 eligible manual scavengers were identified. State-wise details are given at Annexure-I.

No death has been reported due to engaging in Manual Scavenging (which is lifting of human excreta from insanitary latrines as defined in Section 2(1) (g) of the MS Act, 2013). However, 188 persons have died due to accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks during the last three years and current year. Year-wise and state-wise details are given at Annexure-II.

An amount of Rs. 266.16 crore has been spent by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers since 2013-14.

In accordance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Judgment dated 27.03.2014 in Civil Writ Petition No. 583 of 2003, compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each is paid by the State Governments to the families of those who have died while cleaning sewers/septic tanks from the year 1993 onwards. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis and Department of Social Justice have ensured such compensation payments. State wise details are given at Annexure-III.

During the current financial year 2022-23, under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), there is an allocation of Rs. 70.00 crore. However, so far no fund has been released during 2022-23 to the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC).

(The cases filed in this regard are at different stages and have not come to the logical conclusion.

Annexure-II

Year-wise and State-wise details of death of persons during last three years and current year due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks

Annexure-III

Details of death of persons in sewers and septic tanks during the years 1993 to till date (As on 30.06.2022)

This information was given by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale in the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.

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MG/RNM