HC raps authorities over manual scavenging

The Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up the government and civic bodies here for failing to submit details of manual scavengers who are directly or indirectly in their payroll.

A Bench of Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice A.K. Chawla also expressed displeasure at the government for not assisting the court properly as it called for details of manual scavengers in the Capital.

Committees formed

Earlier, the High Court was informed that committees under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, have been formed by the Lieutenant-Governor.

A committee was formed for each district in the Capital with some of his official members including the District Magistrate, local MLA, the Deputy Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation concerned and the executive engineer of the Delhi Jal Board.

The court was told that a standard operating procedure (SOP) known as an action plan for switching over from manual sewer cleaning to a mechanised sewer cleaning, was finalised and circulated by orders of the Lieutenant-Governor in September last year.

The High Court called for details of the number of cleaners or baildars who are performing scavenging tasks either directly or indirectly or through intermediates, such as contractors, under the jurisdiction of the local authority concerned.

It enquired whether the employment of such baildar or individual performing the scavenging tasks was on the roll of a contractor or was employed indirectly by the corporation for its tasks.

If some of the cleaning or scavenging tasks are outsourced to contractors, the High Court asked whether there was a policy of ensuring legal compliance by such contractors and accountability to the Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act.

The court also asked if there was provisions with respect to health security, insurance cover, both for life as well as for sickness of such employees and their families.

It also asked for details of sewer lines in each district, the safety mechanised equipments available and its utilisation — whether it is issued to the employee concerned or any contractor.

Court warning

The High Court said the details of the above queries will be submitted to the court before the next date of hearing on May 23.

The department concerned will give the name of any official who do not cooperate in the collection of data, the court said warning that it will initiate contempt of court proceedings against such official or department.

“If we cannot get this done, I think we should wind up our court work,” the Bench remarked.