Alleging that many States were turning a blind eye to manual scavenging, rights activists on Tuesday demanded that the practice should end in compliance with law.
Activist Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) urged the gathering, largely comprising GHMC sanitation workers, to question district Collectors in Telangana State why 1993 Act of Parliament that outlawed manual scavenging was not being implemented. He said that at least 26 people lost their lives in manhole cleaning in the last three years in Telangana. He charged the TS government, like other States, was not serious on abolishing manual scavenging. “Manual scavenging continues to exist today as a human is forced to go into a manhole to clear it, involving risk to life besides denting dignity. The practice persists as caste-based occupation remains prevalent in the country,” he said, adding technological advancements have not been used to relieve a section of people who continue to be exploited.
