20,500 manual scavengers in country: Survey

New Delhi, October 2

Over 20,500 persons have been identified as being involved in manual scavenging in India, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for nearly 6,000 of them, according to a survey by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment across 18 states.

An earlier survey conducted over a period of three years (2014-17), based on figures provided by states, had estimated there were 13,770 manual scavengers.

Some states like Gujarat, Kerala and Maharashtra had even denied the existence of persons engaged in manual scavenging in their territories, though the latest ongoing survey has revealed that manual scavenging was prevalent even in these states. The recent survey, which started in February and is ongoing, will cover 170 districts across the 18 states.

Manual scavenging (cleaning sewers and clearing human excreta from open-pit toilets) is prohibited. — PTI