Manual Scavenging : SC Order
The Supreme Court has ordered a complete stop to the practice of manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks in six major metropolitan cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.Manual scavenging refers to the manual removal of human excreta from dry latrines, sewers, and septic tanks. It is a dehumanizing practice often linked to caste-based discrimination, as it is predominantly carried out by Dalits and other marginalized communities.According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, 443 deaths were reported due to manual scavenging between 2018 and 2023.
