The Times of India 30.04.2013
PMC orders survey to find the truth
PUNE: The city civic body
maintains that there is no manual scavenging in Pune, refuting the
Census 2011 report, according to which there are 96 manual scavengers in
the city's municipal limits. Civic officials said they are now
conducting an independent survey, starting May 6, to ascertain the
truth.
"We do not agree with the findings of the report. There is no manual scavenging in Pune city. We have also sought details of the blocks where manual scavengers were found by the directorate of census operations. The survey will be carried out at ward levels under the supervision of a six-member committee. The members of the committee are from different walks of life," said Suresh Jagtap, joint commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation.
The six-member committee comprises a corporator, a senior official from Indian Railways, two representatives from social organisations and two conservancy workers. The committee will oversee the work, ensure coordination among departments/agencies concerned in the survey, involve civil society and validate survey data.
The civic body has formed 15 teams to carry out the survey at every ward level. Each team will have a divisional sanitary inspector, two sanitary inspectors, a panel officer, a data entry operator and a clerk. An assistant municipal commissioner will oversee the work. An orientation programme for all the people involved in the survey will be held on May 4.
Objectives of the survey
* To identify people still engaged in manual scavenging, and their dependents (both adult and minor) and find out how many of them are covered under the Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers
* To identify all genuine manual scavengers and check on those who were earlier doing this work but continue to describe themselves as manual scavengers even now.
* To ascertain the social, economic, educational, health and skill status of the identified manual scavengers and their willingness for taking up alternative self-employment ventures
* To ascertain details of insanitary latrines and open drains for which manual scavengers are engaged/employed
Distinction between manual scavengers and Safai Karmacharis
* Safai Karmacharis (conservancy staff) include persons engaged as sweepers or sanitation/cleaning workers in municipalities, government and private offices. However, Safai Karmacharis, are not manual scavengers
* Manual scavengers are usually self-employed or contract employees. Self-employed means a person who scavenges a group of household dry latrines or drains in exchange of payment made in cash or kind. A contractual employee is hired through contractors to scavenge individual or community dry latrines and open drains where night soil is disposed.
Who is a manual scavenger?
Manual scavenger means a person engaged or employed by an individual or a local authority or public or private agency for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta, in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or pit.
What is insanitary latrine?
Insanitary latrine means a latrine which requires human excreta to be cleaned or otherwise handled manually either in situ or in an open drain or pit into which excreta is discharged or flushed out.
A water flush latrine in a railway passenger coach when cleaned by an employee with the help of appropriate devices (like high pressure water jet) and using proper protective gear is not an insanitary latrine
(Source: Guidelines for survey on manual scavengers in statutory towns by Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, released in February 2013)
"We do not agree with the findings of the report. There is no manual scavenging in Pune city. We have also sought details of the blocks where manual scavengers were found by the directorate of census operations. The survey will be carried out at ward levels under the supervision of a six-member committee. The members of the committee are from different walks of life," said Suresh Jagtap, joint commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation.
The six-member committee comprises a corporator, a senior official from Indian Railways, two representatives from social organisations and two conservancy workers. The committee will oversee the work, ensure coordination among departments/agencies concerned in the survey, involve civil society and validate survey data.
The civic body has formed 15 teams to carry out the survey at every ward level. Each team will have a divisional sanitary inspector, two sanitary inspectors, a panel officer, a data entry operator and a clerk. An assistant municipal commissioner will oversee the work. An orientation programme for all the people involved in the survey will be held on May 4.
Objectives of the survey
* To identify people still engaged in manual scavenging, and their dependents (both adult and minor) and find out how many of them are covered under the Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers
* To identify all genuine manual scavengers and check on those who were earlier doing this work but continue to describe themselves as manual scavengers even now.
* To ascertain the social, economic, educational, health and skill status of the identified manual scavengers and their willingness for taking up alternative self-employment ventures
* To ascertain details of insanitary latrines and open drains for which manual scavengers are engaged/employed
Distinction between manual scavengers and Safai Karmacharis
* Safai Karmacharis (conservancy staff) include persons engaged as sweepers or sanitation/cleaning workers in municipalities, government and private offices. However, Safai Karmacharis, are not manual scavengers
* Manual scavengers are usually self-employed or contract employees. Self-employed means a person who scavenges a group of household dry latrines or drains in exchange of payment made in cash or kind. A contractual employee is hired through contractors to scavenge individual or community dry latrines and open drains where night soil is disposed.
Who is a manual scavenger?
Manual scavenger means a person engaged or employed by an individual or a local authority or public or private agency for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta, in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or pit.
What is insanitary latrine?
Insanitary latrine means a latrine which requires human excreta to be cleaned or otherwise handled manually either in situ or in an open drain or pit into which excreta is discharged or flushed out.
A water flush latrine in a railway passenger coach when cleaned by an employee with the help of appropriate devices (like high pressure water jet) and using proper protective gear is not an insanitary latrine
(Source: Guidelines for survey on manual scavengers in statutory towns by Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, released in February 2013)
