Worried that its flagship scheme, Swachchh Bharat Mission (SBM) cannot become successful unless manual scavenging — which continues unabated in several States despite a legislation and Supreme Court order — is eliminated completely, the Modi Government has set October 2, 2017 as the target date to end the inhuman practice in the country.
launched on October 2, 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, SBM aims to make the country open defecation free by October 2, 2019 to coincide it with the 150th birth anniversary of Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Now, the Union Ministry of Water and Sanitation Ministry hopes to end the menace of manual scavenging through the funds available under the SBM. It has asked the States to complete the survey of identifying the number of insanitary or dry toilets by December end this year.
In a circular issued late last month, the Ministry has said that while incentives for the targeted beneficiaries is available under the Mission for converting insanitary latrines to sanitary latrines, those not entitled under the Mission, funds disbursed to Panchayati Raj institutes under the 14th Finance Commission may be utilised for the purpose.
According to the Government data, as on 31 March 2016 reported by the States on the online monitoring system of the Ministry, of total 2,51,302 gram panchyatas (GPs) in the country, 2,26,543 GPs were surveyed. The survey found 1,57,053 households still using insanitary latrines or employing manual scavengers. However, as per data, sanitary latrines have been constructed in 1,08,895 households, which comes to 69 per cent.
As per data, of the 14,968 households surveyed which were disposing night soil into open drain, as on 31 March 2016, 80 per cent now boasts of having proper toilet facilities. Similarly, of the total 6908 households where night soil was found to be serviced by animals, as many as 5159 ie in 74 per cent houses sanitary latrines have been constructed.
As per data, except Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Meghalaya, all the States are yet to complete the survey to ensure conversion of insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines.
Uttar Pradesh tops the list when it comes to the States having the maximum number of manual scavengers followed by Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh. In households in Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Sikkim and Assam night soil continue to be serviced by animals, according to the Government data.
India banned manual scavenging in 1993. In September 2013, Parliament passed a new law prescribing imprisonment of up to five years for hiring people to clean dry toilets, besides provisions for employment aid for former workers.
Under the SBM the Government aims to construct 12 crore toilets in rural India by October 2019, at a projected cost of `1.96 lakh crore.