Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, W. Bengal among States with highest number of districts yet to declare themselves manual scavenging-free

The Social Justice Ministry said that a total of 530 districts across the country had so far reported themselves to be free of manual scavenging

Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are among the States and Union Territories that have the highest number of districts yet to declare themselves as manual-scavenging free, according to data submitted by the Social Justice Ministry in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. 

In response to multiple questions related to deaths caused by manual scavenging or hazardous cleaning of sewers, the Union government said that India had seen no deaths due to manual scavenging in the last five years, while adding that 330 people had died while being engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. 

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The Ministry said that a total of 530 districts across the country had so far reported themselves to be free of manual scavenging with the rest yet to do so. The Ministry added that the practice of manual scavenging is no longer continued in the country. 

While 100% of districts in States like Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and a few others have declared themselves free of manual scavenging, in several States and Union Territories, only about 15% to 20% of the districts have reported so. 

For instance, in Manipur, just two of the 16 districts have reported as being manual-scavenging free. Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir, just 30% of the districts have declared themselves free of the practice with a similar number in Telangana. In Odisha and West Bengal too, over 60% districts are yet to report their respective status.  

Also read | Poverty, caste-discrimination at the root of manual scavenging, reveals study