HYDERABAD: Amid reports of sanitation worker fatalities during sewer and septic tank cleaning operations, the Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) is set to implement the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme to enhance worker safety and dignity. This aims to prevent deaths and improve working conditions in the sector by promoting mechanised cleaning across the state.
As the nodal agency for NAMASTE in Telangana, the CDMA plans to deploy trained young professionals within a Project Management Unit (PMU) to oversee the scheme’s implementation. A total of 55 PMUs will support the State NAMASTE Coordinator (SNC), who will manage the programme in coordination with Urban Local Bodies across Telangana. The SNC will work closely with a state-appointed NAMASTE nodal officer, reporting on implementation progress in each ULB, and will ensure consistent follow-up and action for the effective roll-out of the scheme.
PMU members will be appointed by the NAMASTE nodal officer, in consultation with a selection committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC). Each PMU member will serve a two-year term, with a potential one-year extension, and receive a monthly remuneration of Rs 45,000.
Launched last year by the MoSJE in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the NAMASTE scheme strives to safeguard the lives of sanitation workers. Its objectives include achieving zero fatalities, eliminating direct contact with human waste, ensuring safety devices are used in all operations and empowering workers through skills training and entrepreneurship programmes. The scheme also supports the establishment of Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) to facilitate safer and mechanised sanitation services.