4K sanitation workers in Delhi to get PPE kits with 42 safety items
NEW DELHI: As the monsoon approaches, the Delhi government has announced the distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to nearly 4,000 manual scavengers across the city, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at improving safety conditions for sanitation workers. The move comes under the Centre's 'Namaste' (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme, launched in 2023-24 to promote secure, mechanised and dignified sanitation practices.
Each PPE kit will contain 42 safety items, including gas masks, helmets with lights, gloves, gumboots, protective suits, and barrier creams designed to guard against hazardous gases and skin infections. The kits are expected to be distributed before the onset of heavy rains, when manual sewer and septic tank cleaning becomes most dangerous.
Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said that directives had been issued to ensure all sanitation workers are also enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.
Departments have been instructed to speed up training and rehabilitation programmes and establish Emergency Response Sanitation Units. District magistrates have been told to settle all pending compensation cases related to sewer deaths in a time-bound manner. 'The safety of every sanitation worker is our priority. They must have access to PPE kits and health insurance before the monsoon,' Singh said.
However, the announcement has sparked criticism from activists who argue that the state should move beyond temporary safety measures. Bezwada Wilson, founder of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, welcomed the distribution of safety gear but said it doesn't address the root of the problem.
'This step is welcome, but it still does not prevent the deaths of manual scavengers,' Wilson said, calling for the complete mechanisation of sewer cleaning in compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
Wilson also highlighted grim statistics: 102 manual scavengers died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have died in 2025 so far, including four deaths in Delhi alone. 'The focus must shift from protective gear to ending the practice altogether,' Wilson stressed.
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Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why Ayushman Bharat payments are stalled in Jharkhand
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It provides a cover of Rs 5 lakhs per family per year to eligible beneficiaries for hospitalisation expenses in both government and empanelled private hospitals. At the moment, some 750 hospitals in Jharkhand are registered under the scheme, according to the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Current eligibility extends to the bottom 40% households, which is calculated based on deprivation and occupational data from the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011. The Prime Minister last year announced that coverage will soon be extended to all citizens aged 70 years and above. The cost of implementation of AB PM-JAY is shared between the Central and State Governments in a 60:40 ratio. 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He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India. Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
Hans India
5 hours ago
- Hans India
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The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
Adityanath urges BJP leaders to amplify Modi govt's 11-year achievements
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