An act to provide for the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers, rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their families, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Mander 2008 argues that employing manual scavengers to clear human excreta is punishable under the law. Scheduled caste and scheduled tribe prevention of atrocities act 1989. The act forbidding the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry toilets has existed since 1993 but it has seen little or no implementation and furthermore, not a single conviction. Yet, many institutions, private and public, continue to do so. Violence against manual scavenger dalit women in india. General testtaking strategies for the act writing test the act writing test lets you show your skill in planning and composing a short essay. In 20, landmark new legislation in the form of the manual scavengers act was passed which seeks to reinforce this ban by prohibiting manual scavenging in all forms and ensures the rehabilitation of manual scavengers to be identified through a mandatory survey. Social inclusion of manual scavengers, report of national round table discussion, new delhi, december 21, 2012.
Amendment to employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993 14 v sharing information with the public. After 25 years of broken promises, india is counting its. Org prohibition of employment as manual scavengers. Petition eradicate manual scavenging practice from india. Pdf manual scavenging is a profession which has been in.
The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20, prohibits any person, local authority, or agency from engaging or employing a manual scavenger. As a result, the act gave importance to public sanitation and placed only marginal emphasis on the. File photo since january 1, 2017, one person has died every five days, on an average, while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across the country, according to numbers collated by the national commission for safai karamcharis ncsk, the statutory body that was set up by an act of parliament for the welfare of sanitation workers. Construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993ii. The manual scavenging bill 2012 a critical analysis the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill 2012 was introduced in the lok sabha in september 2012 with a commitment of removing the historically iniquitous, casteordained practice of. Org prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation rules, 20 subject created date. Manual scavenging act and municipal waste water workers in india policy and practice. The bill has a wider scope and higher penalties than the 1993 act. This paper aims to analyse how far the present social, legal and institutional mechanisms addresses the issues and concerns of manual scavengers from human rights point of view. R f d ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation 2011 2012. Clearly, the authorities seem utterly confused when it comes to defining manual scavenging. The prohibition of employ manual scavengers and th rehabilitation. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and. In december 2012, a twomonth long march to end manual scavenging the maila mukti yatra crossed 18 indian states and liberated thousands of dalit scavengers.
Manual scavengers usually use hand tools such as buckets, brooms and shovels. Unlike the existing law on manual scavenging enacted 20 years ago, the new proposed law also provides for rehabilitation of manual scavengers, but it still has many shortcomings. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their. Looking at this dehumanizing practice of manual scavenging and failure of existing law, central government enacted a new law called the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20 on september 18, 20. The movement began with the efforts of the youth from the community, led by bezwada wilson, who was born into a family of manual scavengers, and had seen the injustices meted out to. The following act of parliament received the assent of the president on the 18th september, 20, and is hereby published for general information. The act prohibits construction of insanitary latrines and employment of a manual scavenger.
Manual scavenging international dalit solidarity network. The employment of manual scavengers and dry latrines construction prohibition act 1993. The inhumane practice of manual scavenging enslaves estimated 12,00,000 people in india. The alarming frequency of deaths indicates that the provisions of the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20 pemsr act. Users can get information on the act, its objectives, short title, definition and commencement. Be it enacted by parliament in the sixtythird year of the republic of india as follows. Present paper will critically analyze the past, present and future of manual scavenging in india. In this context, a campaign has started in 2001 known as rashtriya garima abhiyan, national campaign for dignity and elimination of manual scavenging has proven to be a very. The manual scavenging bill2012 a critical analysis. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act and rule organisations under the division allocation for welfare of scheduled castes eutthaan.
Org background note on prohibition of manual scavenging and protection of the rights of sanitation workers in india. For a more comprehensive approach towards the issue and a stricter execution of the act, a new bill was drafted in 2012. Information related to sections of the act is given. This act also aims to provide for the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers, rehabilitation of manual scavengers and their families, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. This prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act has been promulgated by parliament of india in the year 20. Home actsofparliamentfromtheyear the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993. The workers have to move the excreta, using brooms and tin. The bill prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines. Id like to check out a few things i see in the trial before i jump. The work is being regarded as a castebased, dehumanizing practice.
As per the latest data available with the government, there are a total of 11,635 manual scavengers across the country. The anathema manual scavenging was banned 25 years ago with the passing of the employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993, but it continues to find practitioners. Going back to the 20 act, he points out, there is a directive that manual scavengers must wear protective gear while working, which should be given by the government but it hasnt. They are subjected to ongoing, intergenerational torture, severe mental and physical pain rooted in caste based. After the prohibition of employment of manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act 20 came into being, the government recognised 12,742 manual scavengers in. The employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993 no. Pdf manual scavenging a case of denied rights researchgate. An act to provide for the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers. The cabinet secretary to report on national government guarantees. Cleaning human waste, manual scavenging, caste and discrimination in india report prepared by human rights watch, 2014. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20 which came into force in december, 20, addresses the twin problems of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers in a very comprehensive manner. Prohibition of employment as manual scavengers act 20. The death of five manual scavengers in delhi on sunday september 10 testifies to the fact. In 1993, india banned the employment of people as manual scavengers.
It will come into force on such date as may be decided by the govt by notification. Activists say the new billthe prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 lacks teeth and clarity, and, therefore, it is. Manual scavenging is historically linked to the practice of untouchability and the continuation. Government of india central public works department 2012 maintenance manual published under the authority of director general, cpwd, new delhi amended upto omman222 dt. Stringent antimanual scavenging bill passed the hindu. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012. The employment of manual scavengers and construction of. Pdf the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and. Manual scavenging, caste, and discrimination in india hrw. He reiterated that the timebound action prescribed in the act needs to be completed in letter and spirit. Find details about the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20. The employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act was enacted in 1993. The prohibition of employment of manual scavengers and rehabilitation act 20 defines a manual scavenger as an individual employed by a local authority or agency for manually cleaning, carrying, and disposing human excreta from insanitary latrines.
Safai karmachari andolan is a movement that aims to completely eradicate manual scavenging from india. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 20. Leading the pack is uttar pradesh with 10016 manual scavengers. Moving the prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 20 in the upper house, minister for social justice kumari selja said the earlier act did not prove very.
Manual scavengers themselves do not speak out because of shame and fear of losing even this frequently insecure source of livelihood. Cabinet secretary to submit national government debt management strategy to parliament annually. Public finance and accountability scotland act 2000 asp 1 38. Employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation act, 201. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and their rehabilitation bill, 2012 1. The prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and rehabilitation act, 20 no. The dignity and rights of manual scavengers in india ohrh. The employment of manual scavengers and construction of dry latrines prohibition act, 1993. It also analyzes if the statute by way of prohibition of employment.
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