In a written reply to the Indian House of Parliament (Lok Sabha), the Indian Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, said that the practice of manual scavenging still persists in various parts of the country. He added that because previous laws banning the practice had proved inadequate, parliament had enacted the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the implementation of which is now be monitored.
Photos: Poulomi Basu/ WaterAid
Human Rights Watch is also due to release new research on the continued existence of manual scavenging in India in a report later in August, 2014.
Read the recent press clippings on manual scavenging for more information:
India’s sewer cleaners keep working despite ban on job(Los Angeles Times)
Manual scavenging continues in India:
Minister (Times of India)
Inhuman practice on in Surendranagar? (TNN)
Law to Prohibit Manual Scavenging Been Implemented, High Court Asks Civic Agencies (Press Trust of India)
City Yet to be Free of Manual Scavenging (ByExpress)
See also:
A landmark judgement in the fight to eradicate manual scavenging (IDSN News 2014)
IDSN News – New Manual Scavenging Legislation: New Hope and New Challenges (IDSN News 2014)