Latest news with #SSWs
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.'
The Independent
04-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Polar Vortex collapse set to send temperatures plunging in the US and Canada
A polar vortex collapse is expected over the next two weeks, causing extreme winter weather and travel disruption across North America. The weather phenomenon is expected to develop in mid-March, bringing severe cold temperatures across parts of Canada and the United States. It may also impact the UK and Europe. A polar vortex collapse occurs when the layer between 10 and 50km above Earth's surface warms up to 50 degrees in just two days - known as sudden stratospheric warming (SSW). This warming can weaken the polar vortex, causing cold Arctic air to move southwards and can lead to extreme weather conditions. The polar vortex collapse will be the second in 2025, after a collapse last month caused deep freezes and travel havoc in North America. Snow, storms, and sub-zero temperatures impacted millions of Americans and the majority of the country in February. If the upcoming vortex disruption weakens the jet stream, it may release cold air from polar regions into North America or Eurasia. 'We are predicting a displacement of the polar vortex on the Europe and eastern Canada side of the polar,' AccuWeather's Lead Meteorologist Paul Pastelok told The Independent. 'When the Polar Vortex is disrupted - whether stretched, displaced, or split - it can, but does not always, impact this polar jet stream. 'The timing is uncertain for North America but could see a change in the pattern for late March into early April.' A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which rotates around the North and South poles of the Earth and corresponds with the narrow bands of wind 8 to 11 kilometres above Earth's surface, known as the jet stream. When the vortex is weakened, the jet stream can become less stable and lets cold polar air spill southward leading to extreme and unpredictable weather. Mr Pastelok explained that there is a small chance of a 'complete split' in the jet stream pattern, which could last four to seven weeks. But a 'displacement' or a change in the pattern is more likely. Such a change would last less time and would affect Europe and central and eastern North America, Mr Pastelok added. The weather event may also impact the UK, with forecasters warning that temperatures could drop again after a temporary reprieve this week. 'SSWs don't always impact our weather but if they do it can take a few weeks before impacts might be felt on the earth surface,' the UK Met Office told the Independent, adding that the warming is so high up that we don't feel it directly. 'If this happens this would act as a factor in favouring blocked/slowly evolving patterns for the remainder of March and could bring colder weather to the UK.'
