The nodal officer of the survey
and the chief animal husbandry officer in the AMC, B S Naikwade, on
Thursday said that the state had directed the administration to give a
report on whether the city is free from manual scavenging. “A committee
of seven members has been formed for the survey comprising
representatives from social welfare department of the AMC, wards
officers and community representatives. All six ward officers in the
municipal body will supervise the survey along with the sanitary
officers concerned,” he said.

Deputy mayor Sanjay Joshi said
that the municipal body would conduct the survey and take measures as
per the instructions of the government. “This central government scheme
is being implemented by Maharashtra’s social justice department,” he
added.

Naikwad said a joint training programme of
representatives of all local bodies in Aurangabad, Jalna, Beed and
Parbhani was held in the city recently. “About 150 representatives from
the four districts attended the day-long training programme and they
were trained on the survey procedure,” he said.

Naikwade said
that the deputy engineer in the AMC, Afsar Siddique, and a
representative of social justice department of state government had
recently attended a trainers’ training programme in New Delhi. “These
officers have now trained the participants in the region. The surveyors
will collect data within fifteen days and analyse it before submitting.
Apart from the survey, it is also expected that manual scavengers would
voluntary come forward and furnish their details,” he said. Naikwade
said that under the survey, officers would also identify lavatories
where manual scavenging was essential.