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)