The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provided a written reply to the Rajya Sabha regarding the status of manual scavenging eradication efforts in India. A fresh survey conducted across all districts under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013) found no manual scavengers in the country.
The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme, launched during 2023-24, has validated 89,915 Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) across the country, with state-wise details of validated workers placed on the Table of the House. The scheme implements multiple interventions including distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, occupational safety training, provision of safety devices to Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), upfront capital subsidy for sanitation-related machinery to sanitation workers and Private Sanitation Service Operators (PSSOs), health insurance coverage, and workshops on prevention of hazardous cleaning.
Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U) 2.0, launched on 1 October 2021, includes Used Water Management (UWM) as a key component with the objective of eradicating hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks by promoting mechanised cleaning operations. The government reiterated that the MS Act, 2013 prohibits construction and maintenance of insanitary latrines and bans employment for hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, with requests to all States and Union Territories to ensure effective implementation of the Act's provisions.