Manual scavenging in Tamil nadu
Even the then President of India had spoken candidly of the issue. The National Advisory Council was also seized of the matter. The Prime Minister, in 2011, called manual scavenging as one of the darkest blots in our development process.
Now, with 3 more deaths of workers in sewage manholes, yesterday, in Darmapuri, Tamil Nadu, the darkest blot on the nation becomes bigger, indelible and may be permanent.
The Madras High Court, in a landmark judgment in October 2008, had prohibited use of sanitary workers to enter sewage manholes and septic tanks under the guise of removing blocks. Despite the ban of the Hon’ble High court and after so many further directions by the Court on the Contempt petition filed in 2009, killing of sanitary workers trapped by the toxic gases in drains filled with rotting feces and all other use&throw as well as the equally obnoxious apathy of successive Governments and their administration goes unabated.
On account of this perpetuation of sub-human occupation of manual scavenging in its most virulent urban form, in Tamil Nadu alone, in the last 2 ½ years, 29 workers have been killed and more than 60 children orphaned. This includes the latest casualty of 3 workers yesterday in the sewage manholes of Darmapuri. Their feces soaked bodies were fished out after considerable struggle. Thus, Tamil Nadu continue to lead Shining India as Adharmapuri. The workers are treated worse than sewer rats.
Apart from such deaths due to asphyxiation, scores of workers contract deadly infections and die prematurely after prolonged illness due to the obnoxious occupation and such workers never receive any form of compensation and their families don’t get any rehabilitation nor any news coverage.
What else can one do?
A PIL writ petition is filed in 2008. Court gives clear and very specific directions completely banning this sub-human work. The Government treats the Court’s direction as a piece of tissue paper. Contempt petition is filed. Court directed special committee is formed to give life and meaning to the Court’s order. The special committee is never convened. One goes to Court in desperation. Special committee is convened. The committee meets infrequently after pushing and prodding.
Several concrete recommendations are made. The Administration apart from procuring some machines, continue to ignore and overlook the critical recommendations such as complete prevention of any type of solid waste getting into underground sewage systems, creating high profile awareness campaign on war footing, regulating and monitoring of the functioning of contractors, deterrent supervision and many others.
Again and again, Court's doors are knocked. High court repeatedly reprimands the Administration. Based on submission of the petitioner, Court asks the Union Government to amend the existing manual scavenging prohibition law or bring in a comprehensive law. Court directs personal appearance of the top officials of the Union Government including the PMO Secretariat.
Union Government files an appeal in Supreme Court against this direction. Counter affidavit filed in the SLP in Supreme Court. Argument continues. Union Government promises new law in this regard in 2011 to the Supreme Court. But, never keeps up the promise. Supreme Court looses patience and says ‘Centre fooling people’ and is not bothered about the plight of sanitary workers. In the meantime, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) visits Chennai and discusses the issue with NGOs and the State Administration. Government promises to NCSK that concrete action will be taken to implement the ban on manual scavenging in letter and spirit. But, Government continues with its indifferent attitude.
Centre continues to delay placing the bill in Parliament. Upset, Supreme Court gives a week’s deadline, the Cabinet hurriedly clears the bill and introduces the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill,2012’ in the Parliament. Ruckus continues session after session in the Parliament. The bill is referred to a Standing Committee amidst the din.
The Standing Committee deliberates on the bill with various stakeholders and the recommendations are submitted in the Parliament. The bill, watered down, not really empowering and with lot of loopholes and grey is now pending in the Parliament.
In the current session too, the ruckus between the Ruling party and the opposition continues. Scam after scam and corruption charges fly thick and fast. The atmosphere in the Parliament is highly vitiated and completely bitter in the backdrop of Lok Sabha elections slated for next year.
Hundreds of crores of public money is spent on elections and to run the Parliament and to keep the MPs happy and well nourished. Unfortunately and condemn-ably, our so-called law makers still cannot find common ground to discuss and pass this very important bill. There is absolutely no political will and commitment.
Hence, this social corruption of manual scavenging continues unabated. Only last month, 3 workers died inside manholes of New Delhi. Workers continue to be killed, whether it is Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad or Bangalore on a regular basis. These are invariably recorded as accidental deaths, which they are not. They are pure murders on account of the conspiracy of apathy, indifference, insensitivity and casteist attitude.
Tamil Nadu, the land of social justice, tops India in gutter deaths. 29 killed in 30 months. This despite a supposedly path breaking High Court direction in Tamil Nadu.
In an article in 2007, S.Anand calls the urban underground sewage lines as the belly of the beast. The beast is the city.
Yes. The belly is becoming bigger, longer and really monstrous. The beast is truly menacing.
--
To read all the issues of paadam, Pl visit our web www.paadam.in &
blog www.paadam-pm.blogspot.com and leave your comments.
Regards
A.Narayanan (98403 93581)
Editor
Paadam, Monthly Magazine in Tamil for Development Politics
2/628, Rapid Nagar,
Gerugambakkam
Chennai - 602 101.
Even the then President of India had spoken candidly of the issue. The National Advisory Council was also seized of the matter. The Prime Minister, in 2011, called manual scavenging as one of the darkest blots in our development process.
Now, with 3 more deaths of workers in sewage manholes, yesterday, in Darmapuri, Tamil Nadu, the darkest blot on the nation becomes bigger, indelible and may be permanent.
The Madras High Court, in a landmark judgment in October 2008, had prohibited use of sanitary workers to enter sewage manholes and septic tanks under the guise of removing blocks. Despite the ban of the Hon’ble High court and after so many further directions by the Court on the Contempt petition filed in 2009, killing of sanitary workers trapped by the toxic gases in drains filled with rotting feces and all other use&throw as well as the equally obnoxious apathy of successive Governments and their administration goes unabated.
On account of this perpetuation of sub-human occupation of manual scavenging in its most virulent urban form, in Tamil Nadu alone, in the last 2 ½ years, 29 workers have been killed and more than 60 children orphaned. This includes the latest casualty of 3 workers yesterday in the sewage manholes of Darmapuri. Their feces soaked bodies were fished out after considerable struggle. Thus, Tamil Nadu continue to lead Shining India as Adharmapuri. The workers are treated worse than sewer rats.
Apart from such deaths due to asphyxiation, scores of workers contract deadly infections and die prematurely after prolonged illness due to the obnoxious occupation and such workers never receive any form of compensation and their families don’t get any rehabilitation nor any news coverage.
What else can one do?
A PIL writ petition is filed in 2008. Court gives clear and very specific directions completely banning this sub-human work. The Government treats the Court’s direction as a piece of tissue paper. Contempt petition is filed. Court directed special committee is formed to give life and meaning to the Court’s order. The special committee is never convened. One goes to Court in desperation. Special committee is convened. The committee meets infrequently after pushing and prodding.
Several concrete recommendations are made. The Administration apart from procuring some machines, continue to ignore and overlook the critical recommendations such as complete prevention of any type of solid waste getting into underground sewage systems, creating high profile awareness campaign on war footing, regulating and monitoring of the functioning of contractors, deterrent supervision and many others.
Again and again, Court's doors are knocked. High court repeatedly reprimands the Administration. Based on submission of the petitioner, Court asks the Union Government to amend the existing manual scavenging prohibition law or bring in a comprehensive law. Court directs personal appearance of the top officials of the Union Government including the PMO Secretariat.
Union Government files an appeal in Supreme Court against this direction. Counter affidavit filed in the SLP in Supreme Court. Argument continues. Union Government promises new law in this regard in 2011 to the Supreme Court. But, never keeps up the promise. Supreme Court looses patience and says ‘Centre fooling people’ and is not bothered about the plight of sanitary workers. In the meantime, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) visits Chennai and discusses the issue with NGOs and the State Administration. Government promises to NCSK that concrete action will be taken to implement the ban on manual scavenging in letter and spirit. But, Government continues with its indifferent attitude.
Centre continues to delay placing the bill in Parliament. Upset, Supreme Court gives a week’s deadline, the Cabinet hurriedly clears the bill and introduces the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Bill,2012’ in the Parliament. Ruckus continues session after session in the Parliament. The bill is referred to a Standing Committee amidst the din.
The Standing Committee deliberates on the bill with various stakeholders and the recommendations are submitted in the Parliament. The bill, watered down, not really empowering and with lot of loopholes and grey is now pending in the Parliament.
In the current session too, the ruckus between the Ruling party and the opposition continues. Scam after scam and corruption charges fly thick and fast. The atmosphere in the Parliament is highly vitiated and completely bitter in the backdrop of Lok Sabha elections slated for next year.
Hundreds of crores of public money is spent on elections and to run the Parliament and to keep the MPs happy and well nourished. Unfortunately and condemn-ably, our so-called law makers still cannot find common ground to discuss and pass this very important bill. There is absolutely no political will and commitment.
Hence, this social corruption of manual scavenging continues unabated. Only last month, 3 workers died inside manholes of New Delhi. Workers continue to be killed, whether it is Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad or Bangalore on a regular basis. These are invariably recorded as accidental deaths, which they are not. They are pure murders on account of the conspiracy of apathy, indifference, insensitivity and casteist attitude.
Tamil Nadu, the land of social justice, tops India in gutter deaths. 29 killed in 30 months. This despite a supposedly path breaking High Court direction in Tamil Nadu.
In an article in 2007, S.Anand calls the urban underground sewage lines as the belly of the beast. The beast is the city.
Yes. The belly is becoming bigger, longer and really monstrous. The beast is truly menacing.
--
To read all the issues of paadam, Pl visit our web www.paadam.in &
blog www.paadam-pm.blogspot.com and leave your comments.
Regards
A.Narayanan (98403 93581)
Editor
Paadam, Monthly Magazine in Tamil for Development Politics
2/628, Rapid Nagar,
Gerugambakkam
Chennai - 602 101.
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