NAMASTE Scheme Progress Update for Sanitation Workers
The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme has achieved significant milestones in ensuring safety and dignity for sanitation workers across India. As of September 22, the scheme has validated 90,186 sewer and septic tank workers across all 36 States and Union Territories, with a gender breakdown of 86,468 men, 3,713 women, and 5 transgender persons.
Under the mechanization and safety interventions, the Ministry has distributed 87,008 Personal Protective Equipment kits and 753 Emergency Response Sanitation Unit safety equipment sets to stakeholders. The capital-subsidy intervention through Swachhta Udyami Yojana has supported 983 beneficiaries with ₹34.16 crore for mechanization efforts, with 87,037 PPE kits ordered and 87,008 already delivered.
The health and capacity building components show substantial progress with 27,034 health-insurance eKYC completions, 5,449 occupational trainings, and 1,841 workshops conducted specifically for sewer and septic tank workers. For waste pickers, the scheme has profiled 251,756 individuals across 34 States and Union Territories, comprising 135,233 men, 116,498 women, and 25 transgender persons, with 7,526 health-insurance eKYC completions supported by 17 training providers and 33 resource organizations.
The scheme, implemented by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), focuses on creating an enabling ecosystem that recognizes sanitation workers' contributions through profiling, occupational safety measures, health-insurance coverage, capacity building, and mechanization support to strengthen livelihood and social-security provisions.