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Law

Supreme Court Orders Immediate Halt to Manual Scavenging and Sewer Cleaning in Six Metros

The Court noted that despite the submission of a comprehensive affidavit by the Union government, there was a lack of clarity on the implementation of policies.

Supreme Court Orders Immediate Halt to Manual Scavenging and Sewer Cleaning in Six Metros

The Supreme Court of India and a man cleaning sewers in a septic tank (Bill Graphic).

On Wednesday (January 29), the Supreme Court of India issued a directive to halt manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities, as part of a writ petition aimed at eradicating these practices in the country.

The Court noted that despite the submission of a comprehensive affidavit by the Union government, there was a lack of clarity on the implementation of policies aimed at eliminating manual scavenging and sewer cleaning.

In its ruling, the Court specifically ordered that manual sewer cleaning and scavenging should cease immediately in the following cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, Live Law reported.

Additionally, the Court instructed the Chief Executives (or their equivalent) of each metropolitan city to file an affidavit detailing how and when manual scavenging and sewer cleaning will be fully eradicated in their respective cities.
The affidavit must be submitted by February 13, 2025.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by Dr. Balram Singh, highlighted the failure to implement key provisions of two important laws: the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Despite these laws, manual scavenging continues to be a persistent issue, with no significant progress in enforcement.

The Court expressed its frustration with the lack of compliance, stating that it is "fed up" with issuing orders that are not followed, calling the situation "academic" and demanding action.

“Can we say it today that manual scavenging from today onwards is banned? We are fed up of order. We are directing. Either do it or face consequences," reported Live Law.

The ruling follows a previous order from December 11, 2024, where the Court directed the Union Government to convene a meeting of the Central Monitoring Committee along with stakeholders from the respective states to assess progress.

The Court noted that the status report submitted by the Union was not encouraging. In the latest affidavit, the Union reported that manual scavenging has been eliminated in 456 of the 775 districts across the country.

However, when questioned about Delhi’s compliance, the Union admitted that the city had failed to meet the Court's requirements.

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