What happened
A written reply in the Lok Sabha said the Union Government remains committed to the eradication of manual scavenging through enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, rehabilitation of affected persons, and promotion of mechanised sanitation systems.
The reply also stated that 332 sanitation workers died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in 18 States and Union Territories during 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2026. It further said that 193 First Information Reports were registered during the last five years against agencies and officials responsible for hazardous manual cleaning.
Background and earlier position
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 came into force on 6 December 2013. The law prohibits the employment or engagement of any person as a manual scavenger and provides for rehabilitation measures for affected persons.
The Lok Sabha reply referred to Section 8 of the Act, which prescribes punishment for employing or engaging a manual scavenger. The stated penalty includes imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to ₹ 1 lakh, or both.
Related current affairs
- Nationwide survey (2024-25) finds no manual scavengers; NAMASTE rehabilitation continues
- NAMASTE scheme: 89,915 sewer & septic tank workers validated; 87,037 PPE kits distributed
- MoS informs Lok Sabha about revised SC scholarship schemes and DBT-based disbursement
- Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana under AVYAY: 49.81 lakh assistive devices distributed to BPL senior citizens
- NCSK reviews sanitation workers’ working conditions, welfare and mechanisation in NDMC
- Protesters gather at Jantar Mantar for overhaul of reservation system