A STUDY ON PROBLEMS FACED BY MANUAL SCAVENGERS WORKING AS TEMPORARY CONTRACT LABOURER'S FOR REMOVAL OF SEWER OBSTRUCTIONS IN SEWER SYSTEM AND SLIT REMOVAL AT MANHOLES AND ALLIED WORKS IN CHENNAI METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE BOARD, CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:
India has made spectacular progress almost in all areas of
life over the years since Independence in 1947. However, still
large sections of our people have not got their share of
development in their life. Atrocities, untouchability,
involvement in obnoxious and inhuman practice of manual
scavenging of night soil are still prevalent in the country. They
are mainly the Scheduled Castes which includes safai
karamcharis and manual scavengers. Manual scavenging
refers to the removal of animal or human waste/excreta (night
soil) using brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrine and
carrying it to disposal grounds some distance away. The
toilets often used a container that needed to be emptied daily.
According to the 2011 Census, the Scheduled Castes
population of our country is 15.82 crores which constitute
18.5% of the total population. Out of these the number of
manual scavengers is estimated to be around 8.76 lakhs.
Even after 58 years of Independence, the socio-economic
conditions of this group are still far below the satisfactory
level, and the scavengers are still handling night soil
manually. This is undoubtedly a blot on our country. A number
of efforts have been made to abolish the system of manual
scavenging and to ameliorate the living and working
conditions of manual scavengers as well as safai
karamcharis. Legislation was passed in 1993 namely, The
Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry
Latrines Prohibition Act, 1993 which inter-alia prohibits use of
dry latrines and provides for imprisonment for one year and
/or a ne up to Rs.2000/- on those who employ manual
scavengers for cleaning dry latrines. The number of dry
latrines in the country is estimated to be around 54 lakhs in
urban areas and 24 lakhs in rural areas. To solve the problem
of manual scavenging two specic schemes are under
implementation. They are (i) Integrated Low Cost Sanitation
Scheme (ILCS) and (ii) National Scheme for Liberation and
Rehabilitation of Scavengers (NSLRS). The rst scheme
provides for conversion of existing dry latrines into low cost
water borne latrines and construction of new sanitary latrines.
The basic aim of the scheme is to liberate the manual
scavengers from the obnoxious practice of carrying night soil
manually. The NSLRS Scheme aims at rehabilitation of
liberated manual scavengers in alternative and dignied
occupations after giving them necessary training and
nancial assistance in the form of subsidy, margin money
loan and bank loans.