MANUAL SCAVENGING (PROHIBITION) ACT

24th March, 2023 Social Issues

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Context: The Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act has been used in 666 cases where contractors failed to provide sewage workers with safety gear and equipment, the Union government has informed a parliamentary standing committee.

Details

The Manual Scavenging (Prohibition) Act has been used to file FIRs in 616 instances where contractors failed to provide sewer workers with safety gear and equipment, according to information provided to a parliamentary standing committee on social justice and empowerment by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
According to the Department, the Act must be properly implemented, and corrupt contractors should be "quickly held and convicted."
According to government data, since 1993, hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning has claimed 1,035 lives in India, and the families of 836 fatalities have already received the full compensation of 10 lahks.
The panel recommended the government establish a deadline for identifying the workers for the recently announced NAMASTE programme (National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem), which seeks to spend 350 crores over the following three years.

Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

With the implementation of the "Prohibition of Work as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (MS Act, 2013)," manual scavenging is illegal in the country as from 6.12.2013.
As of the stated date, no one or any organisation may hire someone for manual scavenging.
According to Section 8 of the Act, anybody or any organisation that employs anyone for manual scavenging in violation of the MS Act, 2013, is subject to a fine or imprisonment of up to two years, or both, as determined by the court.

Manual scavenging: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/steps-taken-to-assess-the-scourge-of-manual-scavenging

NAMASTE Scheme:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/namaste-scheme

Stop Manual scavenging:

https://www.iasgyan.in/ig-uploads/pdf/rstv10.pdf

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. NAMASTE SCHEME was recently in news, the scheme is related with;

A. Non-Resident Indians

B. Foreign Policy

C. Manual Scavenging

D. Women empowerment

Answer: C