NAMASTE scheme: 89,915 sewer & septic tank workers validated; 87,037 PPE kits distributed
In a Lok Sabha written reply, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported validation of 89,915 sewer & septic tank workers and distribution of 87,037 PPE kits under NAMASTE Scheme.
- Sewer and septic tank cleaning exposes workers to poisonous gases and physical risks, so mechanisation and safety gear matter.
- A 2013 survey and a 2018 survey were used to identify manual scavengers; a later district survey reported no manual scavenger under the 2013 law.
- The 2013 Act includes a process for identifying manual scavengers and eliminating the practice through surveys and rehabilitation.
- Emergency Response Sanitation Units provide equipment so sanitation workers can carry out sewer and septic tank operations with safer emergency support.
What happened (NAMASTE progress in the Lok Sabha written reply)
The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Ramdas Athawale, stated in a Lok Sabha written reply that the Government of India is strengthening efforts to eliminate hazardous sanitation practices and to protect the dignity, safety, and welfare of sanitation workers through the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme. NAMASTE was launched in 2023 and focuses on mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning, improved occupational safety, and worker welfare support.
NAMASTE Scheme: reported validation and PPE support
NAMASTE is framed as a shift from hazardous manual sewer and septic tank work to mechanised operations with stronger occupational safety. The UPSC angle is to connect worker welfare outcomes (validation, PPE, emergency response capability) with the legal aim of eliminating manual scavenging under the 2013 prohibition law and with implementation design of Central Sector welfare schemes.
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