Name: Manual Scavenging: A Curse on Humanity
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 4 min 50 s
Description: The job of manual scavenging is filthy and inhumane. Let’s take a look at how human rights groups and the government are working to eliminate this.

Question

What is manual scavenging? What are the efforts made by the government to eradicate this practice?

Accepted Answer

The practice of carrying human excreta in baskets on their heads by sweepers is called manual scavenging. A person who does this job is known as a manual scavenger. This job is mainly done by Scheduled Caste or Dalit women.

Efforts made by the government to eradicate manual scavenging practice is as follows:

The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, $1993$ punishes the employment of manual scavengers and the construction of dry toilets.

The Act also mentions the prosecution of the offenders under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act, $1989$ .

Despite the enactment of the Act, the employment of manual scavengers continued throughout the country.

On October $23, 1996$ , the National Human Commission issued a letter to various authorities on the elimination of manual scavenging.

What is manual scavenging? What are the efforts made by the government to eradicate this practice?

Important Questions on Untouchability-A Social Evil

Learn and Prepare for any exam you want !