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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Thanks to NAC, scavenging abolition gets priority anew by Smita Gupta

Thanks to NAC, scavenging abolition gets priority anew by Smita Gupta

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published Published on Jan 26, 2011   modified Modified on Jan 26, 2011

Action plan should be finalised to end scourge before March 2012

A plan of action should be finalised within a month or so with the target of ending the pernicious practice of manual scavenging within the 11th Plan period that ends in March 2012, sources in the Social Justice Ministry said.

This was the key outcome of a two-day consultation meeting which concluded here on Tuesday.

Jointly organised by the Ministries of Social Justice, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, and Urban Development, and attended by officials of 11 State governments, experts and a host of civil society groups, the consultation was triggered by the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) directing the government to tackle the issue on a war-footing.

Four groups were set up during the consultations — the first discussed the scope and methodology of a fresh survey of manual scavengers; the second, amendments to the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act of 1993; the third discussed revisiting the self-employment scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers, and designing an education and skill development programme for their children; and the fourth discussed drawing up a Plan of Action for the States to provide total sanitation, including conversion of all unhygienic latrines and mechanisation of cleaning of drainage and sewerage systems.

Follow-up by Ministries

The sources in the Social Justice Ministry said: “The ideas that have emerged during the group discussions will now be pursued by the Ministries concerned with the object of producing a plan of action very soon. The ideas thrown up by groups one and three will be followed up by the Social Justice Ministry, the second by the Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry, and the fourth by the Urban Development Ministry.”

In the past too, the government has set and missed deadlines to eradicate the curse but this time, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik told TheHindu, “Rehabilitating manual scavengers is our Ministry's topmost priority. We have requested the State governments to make public announcements so that anyone still engaged in manual scavenging can come forward and report [his or her situation] at the district headquarters, so that no one is left out.”

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand have requested Central funding for conversion of 2.4 lakh dry latrines. This, Mr. Wasnik said, made it clear that the scourge has yet to be wiped out.

Citing figures provided by the Safai Karamchari Andolan, which says there are still 4,833 manual scavengers in 14 States, Mr. Wasnik said the governments concerned had been told to immediately find them alternative occupations.

Though discussions have been on for a while, the push came after the NAC shot off a letter on November 9 last, urging the Centre to coordinate with all State and local governments and Central government departments, including the Railways, to abolish manual scavenging by the end of the 11th Plan period.

The NAC suggested a new survey in every State and Union Territory of dry latrines and manual scavengers; the demolition of all dry latrines; the rehabilitation in modern marketable skills of all manual scavengers; and a special programme for education of their children.

The NAC also said it would monitor the progress of abolition of manual scavenging on a quarterly basis.

On Monday, Mr. Wasnik told the meeting that the government — through the National Scheme of Liberation and Rehabilitation of Scavengers and their Dependents during 1992-2005 — succeeded in rehabilitating 4.28 lakh of the 7.70 lakh manual scavengers and their dependents who had been identified in 1992. In 2007, a new ‘Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers' was launched to rehabilitate the rest of them. But that task remains unfinished.

The Hindu, 26 January, 2011, http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/26/stories/2011012661871100.htm


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