Latest news with #NationalActionforMechanisedSanitationEcosystem
NDTV
5 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Passerby Jumps In To Save 3 Workers Trapped In Septic Tank, All 4 Killed
New Delhi: Three workers and a passerby who jumped in to help them have died of suffocation after inhaling toxic gases in a septic tank in Odisha. The tragedy occurred when sanitation workers were removing the central slab of a newly constructed septic tank, measuring about 10×10 feet, at Padalguda village in Nandahandi block of Nabarangpur district on Tuesday. Local residents said two of the workers began to suffocate soon after they entered the septic tank. A third worker rushed in to try and rescue them, but he began asphyxiating too. Hearing their screams, a passerby jumped in to try and save them. Fire department personnel arrived after they were alerted and pulled all four people out of the tank. The three workers were declared dead on reaching the Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital while the passerby was admitted to the intensive care unit, but could not be saved. Local residents said the workers did not have safety equipment or oxygen support and entered the tank without any protection. A police official said, "We have begun an investigation. Forensic tests and the post-mortem reports will reveal the exact cause of the death and the nature of the gases they inhaled." The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment data, in a nationwide exercise, has identified 79,700 sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs), showing India's continued dependence on this form of hazardous manual labour. The exercise is part of the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) programme, which is aimed at mechanising all sewer-related works to prevent injuries and deaths. The NAMASTE programme was launched in 2023-24, replacing the Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers. In a written reply in Parliament in 2023, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale had said 453 people had died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in five years, since 2018.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
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.'
New Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
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.
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Nearly 4,000 Manual Scavengers In Delhi To Receive PPE Kits Ahead Of Monsoon
New Delhi: For the first time, nearly 4,000 manual scavengers in Delhi will be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits ahead of the monsoon season. The kits will include 42 safety items such as helmets with lights, gas protection masks, gumboots, protective clothing, gloves, and barrier creams designed to protect against hazardous gases and skin irritants. The initiative is part of the Centre's 'Namaste' (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme launched in 2023-24 to ensure secure working conditions, financial assistance, and social security benefits for sanitation workers, especially those engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Delhi Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh told PTI that around 4,000 scavengers will get PPE kits before the rains begin. He also directed officials to ensure that all manual scavengers are enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. In addition, departments have been instructed to expedite training and rehabilitation efforts for those involved in manual sewer cleaning and to establish adequate Emergency Response Sanitation Units, Indraj Singh said. All district magistrates have been ordered to resolve pending compensation cases related to sewer and septic tank deaths in a time-bound manner, he added. "The safety of every sanitation worker is our priority. They must have access to PPE kits and health insurance before the monsoon," the minister said. Social activist Bezwada Wilson, founder of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, said while PPE kits can help reduce health risks, they do not fully eliminate the dangers faced by manual scavengers. "This step is welcome, but it still does not prevent the deaths of manual scavengers," said Wilson. Wilson also pointed out that the initiative raises concerns under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which officially banned manual scavenging in India. "Instead of sending humans into toxic manholes, the government should focus on introducing machines to clean them," he added. Wilson also shared data on the deaths of manual scavengers, stating that around 102 died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have died in 2025 so far. In Delhi alone, four workers have died this year, he said.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Savukku' Shankar moves Madras HC seeking CBI probe into alleged scam in manual scavenging eradication schemes
YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar, alias A. Shankar, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition before the Madras High Court, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged illegalities in the implementation of entrepreneurship schemes for manual scavengers. The PIL plea is expected to be listed before the summer vacation Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and M. Nirmal Kumar on Wednesday (May 14, 2025). The petitioner had sought a direction to the CBI to register a First Information Report (FIR) based on his March 27, 2025, complaint. In his affidavit, the petitioner said, the Centre had introduced the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) and the Tamil Nadu government had come up with the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme (AABCS) in 2023 to eradicate manual scavenging. The idea behind these schemes was to introduce mechanised solutions, such as automated jetting and suction machines, by offering bank loans with capital subsidies and interest subvention to manual scavengers for the purchase of sanitation-related equipment. According to the official guidelines and modalities of AABCS, the scheme should be implemented by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department of the State government through the Industries Commissioner and Director of Industries and Commerce (ICDIC), the petitioner claimed. He further claimed that the implementation responsibilities were, however, illegally and arbitrarily delegated to the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI), a private entity registered with the Registrar of Companies, and it had led to misappropriation of crores of rupees. Accusing Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai of having played a major role in this, the petitioner claimed that a huge amount of public money, meant for empowering sanitation workers, had not reached the real beneficiaries due to the illegalities. The petitioner alleged that most of the beneficiaries recommended by DICCI were members of the Congress party's Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Wing, and they did not belong to Below the Poverty Line (BPL) category to be eligible for the disbursement of loans under the entrepreneurship schemes. Claiming to have made a complaint in this regard with the CBI, the petitioner sought a direction to the central investigation agency to register a FIR and conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the illegalities allegedly committed under NAMASTE as well as AABCS before filing the final report. The petitioner also stated that his residence was vandalised after he exposed the alleged illegalities on his YouTube channel and that some hooligans, wearing the jackets of sanitary workers, dumped sewage mixed with human faeces in his house when his aged mother was alone at home.
