BENGALURU: Despite 78 years of India getting independence, the practice of manual scavenging is still in practice while a large number of households lack toilet facilities across three districts in Karnataka – Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru and Raichur – revealed a study conducted by independent researcher Dr Siddharth Joshi.
The report was released at a state-level convention organised by the Alternative Law Forum, Samvidhana Samrakshana Vedike and Slum Janandolana Karnataka in Bengaluru on Tuesday. It says 6.05% households in Chikkamagaluru, 79.38% at Devadurga in Raichur and 23.90% at Gubbi in Tumakuru did not have toilets.
Furthermore, lack of toilet facilities, an open drainage system and lack of required machinery to clear the sewage and humans excreta forced people belonging to Dalit community into manual scavenging, the report said. During the study period, 12 workers were found engaged in manual scavenging but none of them were given any official identification by the Chikkamagaluru Municipal Corporation. Similarly, in Gubbi around 10 people were involved in the same work and the Zilla panchayat didn’t recognise them officially. Even in Devadurga, 27 people involved in manual scavenging went unrecognised by the ZP.
The research revealed systemic failure in implementation of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, posing serious threat to the lives of Dalits engaged in manual scavenging. It also highlights continuing landlessness and untouchability faced by SC/ST communities and shows negligence by the State and local governments leading to the continued existence of manual scavenging.
The detailed survey was done to evaluate the implementation of special laws brought for the welfare of SCs and STs enacted by the Parliament and State Assembly including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, The Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Land) Act, 1978 and various land-related laws.
The researcher chose to conduct it in nine taluks, three each in Chikkamagaluru, Tumakuru and Raichur districts, and covered 25 villages. In total, 1023 Scheduled Caste households and 100 Scheduled Tribe households were surveyed.
Besides evaluation, recommendations have been made to ensure these laws are implemented by the law enforcement agencies including police, NGOs, society and other stakeholders. Dr Joshi recommends that the state government conduct a fresh survey to identify people involved in manual scavenging and include those who have been left out of the previous surveys. All the identified manual scavengers should be rehabilitated within a year’s time. Any delay in this would compound the historical injustice done to them, he said.
Shashidhar Shetty, Member Secretary, Karnataka State Legal Services Authority said, “Access to justice is a basic right of every citizen, but it remains inaccessible to many SC/ST communities owing to lack of awareness. People must seek support from taluk-, district- and state-level authorities in their pursuit of justice.”
Social Welfare department Secretary D Randeep said the state government is committed to the welfare of SC/ST communities. He welcomed the independent study and expressed openness to suggestions for improving the implementation and interpretation of these laws.