Centre's NAMASTE scheme nears 2 years; 91,000 sanitation workers identified
New Delhi: Approximately 80,000 sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) and 11,000 waste pickers have been identified nationwide as the Centre's NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme approaches its second anniversary in July, senior officials confirmed. A study group assessing the scheme's impact is expected to submit its report by December.
'We have formed a study group to assess the impact of NAMASTE, the surveying is going on in a mission mode. 80,000 SSWs have already been validated along with approx 11,000 waste pickers,' a senior official told Hindustan Times. The official described the process as 'laborious and large,' citing challenges like ensuring 'illegal immigrants engaged in such work especially waste picking are not included in the profiling and validation.'
Internal Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment data reveals the nationwide validation drive has identified 79,700 SSWs, underscoring India's continued reliance on this hazardous manual labour. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number (11,700), followed by Maharashtra (7,649), Tamil Nadu (6,975), and Karnataka (6,307). Other states with significant validated workers include Gujarat (5,436), Punjab (4,407), Andhra Pradesh (4,036), Delhi (3,626), Jammu & Kashmir (709), and Puducherry (243).
The profiling, conducted under the NAMASTE programme, aims to mechanise all sewer work and prevent deaths from hazardous cleaning. Launched in 2023-24, NAMASTE replaced the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS). The Union government asserts that manual scavenging as a practice has ended, distinguishing it technically from hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act.
The ministry official also told HT that the ministry is in 'constant touch' with the Supreme Court and has made multiple attempts in explaining the difference between manual scavenging and sewer and septic tank cleaning. The Supreme Court in January this year had ordered a complete ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in six major metropolitan cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. However, the ministry maintains that there is no manual scavenging practice (the act of picking and cleaning human excreta) and has asked the court to take a note of the same.
Surveying faces multiple barriers. 'One of the biggest problems... is that several illegal immigrants are also engaged in the occupation with many of them also having fake aadhar cards and identities so its tough to profile and validate them,' the official noted. The ministry has incorporated verification questions about residency duration and permanent address. Other issues include low saturation of Ayushman Bharat health cards and mechanisation.
While 45,871 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and 354 safety device kits have been distributed, only 28,447 Ayushman cards have been issued, attributed to 'verification' problems. The ministry official stated the target is 'complete saturation' by the end of August.
A December report by the Parliament's Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment also highlighted concerns. It noted NAMASTE's aims include 'zero fatalities in sanitation work in India,' ensuring 'all sanitation work is performed by formalized skilled workers,' and that 'no sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter.' However, the Committee found the Department 'lagging behind in this regard as several instances of death of unskilled sanitation workers due to negligence/ non-availability of safety equipments are reported every year in the press.'
'There is utmost need for capacity building of sanitation workers by enhancing their occupational skills,' the Committee had said. It had urged the Department to 'ensure that all the sanitation workers are adequately trained' and to 'conduct comprehensive campaign to increase awareness amongst sanitation service seekers to obtain services for cleaning of sewer septic tanks from trained SSWs.' The Committee also directed that 'minimum wages may be ensured for SSWs and the State/UT Governments may be suitably directed to ensure that SSWs get minimum wages prescribed.'
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