Time to permanently stamp out manual scavenging

Manual scavenging is prohibited, but it is still being practised across Mumbai and the MMR, said the complainant in this paper’s report. He said they had witnessed men and women, without any safety gear, cleaning nullahs in Govandi and Chembur

File photo

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the city district magistrate to act on complaints by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) and locals with reference to manual scavenging.

This is about nullah cleaning with bare hands at Govandi. In its letter, the NHRC has asked the district magistrate’s office to submit a report on the matter, along with an action-taken report, within the next four weeks. The photos of labourers of both sexes unclogging drains and removing filth by getting into a manhole without protective gear or gloves at Baiganwadi near Govandi is shameful to say the least.

Manual scavenging is illegal. Yet, contractors are being hired, who, in turn bring in labourers who have to clean these nullahs, by hand and no safety gear. This is a crime, dangerous, demeaning and at times, tragically has resulted in death.

This has to stop immediately. The civic authorities at the time of hiring the contractor, have to ensure that he does not use manual labour. If drains and manholes are too small for machines, the solution is to procure machines that can access these rather than resorting to manual labour.

This practise needs to be stamped out with an urgency and non-negotiable approach. Every pre-monsoon, we see reports about meetings and gameplans on how to get the city rain ready. Cleaning nullahs with proper equipment has to be part of the preparedness. What is the use of gizmos, hi-tech talk and digitisation when we seem stuck in the deadly and dark ages when it comes to cleaning drains? Basics first and human dignity and safety at the top of the ‘progress’ pyramid.

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