National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM) Alliance, a collaborative body that drives the discourse on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) forward in India, celebrated Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav along with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
On the occasion, a virtual event was organised around the topic of ‘SafaiMitra Suraksha: Manhole to Machine hole’. It was chaired by Manoj Joshi, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and R. Subrahmanyam, secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
The discussions during the event spotlighted some of the key challenges for sanitation workforce like need for mechanized solutions and equipment to ensure their safety, provisions of social security and financial stability and overall support required to improve their working conditions. Acknowledging the gravity of the issue, the government laid emphasis on streamlining sanitation operations and formalizing the sector through welfare schemes, capacity building initiatives and spotlighting best practices.
As first of a kind joint convergence MoHUA and MoSJE launched NAMASTE Scheme (National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem) – aimed to ensure safety and dignity of sanitation workers in urban India and providing sustainable livelihood and enhancing their occupational safety through capacity building and improved access to safety gear and machines. Scheduled to be implemented across 500 cities from 2022 to 2026, the scheme will also aim to enumerate workers engaged in sewer line and septic tank maintenance and cleaning and provide them insurance scheme benefits and livelihood assistance.