There is no report of deaths due to manual scavenging but 161 people died in accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks in the last three years, the government said on Wednesday. Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said 118 such deaths were reported in 2019, 19 in 2020 and 24 in 2021.
He, however, added that there was no report of deaths due to manual scavenging. The government does not identify deaths due to manual scavenging but calls them deaths due to hazardous cleaning of septic tanks and sewers.
Responding to another question, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said 971 people have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks since 1993. Manual scavenging is banned under the Prohibition of Employment As Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
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