Sewer cleaning should be done only using specified equipment: Karnataka HC

Court seeks details of equipment under 2013 Act available with local bodies

The High Court of Karnataka has made it clear to the State government that henceforth, scavenging across the State should be done only with the aid and assistance of the equipment specified in the rules framed under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The court also directed the government to submit details of the equipment provided under the 2013 Act, their availability with the local authorities, and the reason for non-availability as it is mandatory for the local bodies to possess the necessary devices as per the rules. A Division Bench comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum issued the directions on Monday while hearing two separate PIL petitions filed by the Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and the All India Central Council of Trade Unions complaining about the non-implementation of the laws prohibiting manual scavenging in Karnataka. “It is made clear that henceforth, there will be no more manual scavenging in the State ignoring the statutory provisions of the Act and rules of 2013,” Bench observed.