24 sanitation workers' fatalities in 2021: Govt in Rajya Sabha

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The number of deaths occurring due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks has substantially come down in the country, said Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. He further said the number of such deaths has come down to 24 in 2021 against 118 in 2019.

He further said that the Government takes serious cognizance of the deaths occurring due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and non-observance of safety precautions prescribed under the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013". "Several steps have been taken for training the sanitation workers and for properly equipping them, due to which the number of accidental deaths has come down from (118) in the year 2019 to (24) in 2021," he said.

Athawale said a national policy for mechanized sanitation eco-system has been formulated in consultation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Drinking water and Sanitation which envisages the appointment of responsible sanitation authority in every district, setting up of sanitation response unit (SRU) in each municipality. Besides, SRUs will be equipped with necessary devices, machines and vehicles required for mechanized cleaning, professionally trained manpower, 24x7 helpline, transportation and treatment of sludge from septic tanks, he added.

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