The practice of manual scavenging, officially banned since decades in
India, continues with impunity in several States. The latest
Socio-Economic Caste Census data released on July 03,2015 reveals that 1, 80,
657 households are engaged in this degrading work for a livelihood.
Maharashtra, with 63,713, tops the list with the largest number of
manual scavenger households, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Tripura and Karnataka, as per Census data.
Bindeshwar Pathak, founder, Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, told
that when compared to the 1961 census, in which 3.5 million manual
scavenging households had been found and roughly 8 lakh persons were
engaged in manual scavenging, the present census findings show the great
reduction in the numbers of people engaging in this degrading practice
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot told that under the new 2013 law to ensure the rehabilitation of manual
scavengers, 2500 manual scavenger families, who clean human excreta with
bare hands, had been identified so far. “The government has given these
families Rs. 40,000 aid money and is also given them skills training so
that they can pursue alternative jobs. The Safai Karmachari Vitt Vikas
Nigam is also extending credit to them so they can go for permanent
jobs. We have started intervention work in Lucknow, Haridwar and
Varanasi, and will be extending intervention to other States
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