Alarmed by the recent deaths of sanitation workers in the city, the Centre has said it is planning an amendment to the Act which prohibits manual scavenging to make contractors and private persons, engaged for cleaning of sewers, liable for such deaths and responsible for compensation to be paid to the victims.
A proposal has been drafted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and was part of the agenda at a consultative meeting held here to discuss issues relating to the implementation of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
“We are planning to strengthen the Act with reference to the responsibilities of contractors and private persons in the event of sewer and septic tank-related deaths and compensation to the paid to the families of victims,” Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said.
Cleaning of septic tanks and sewers without protective gear is prohibited under the Act. With a number of deaths due to such hazardous cleaning reported in the recent past, Gehlot urged states to immediately take steps for total mechanisation of cleaning of septic tanks and sewers.
