COIMBATORE: Though manual scavenging is banned in the country, an elderly man was forced by a contractor to clean the septic tank of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) public toilet at Thiruvalluvar Bus Stand in Gandhipuram without any safety gear.
The contractor, who had taken a lease of the public toilet at the SETC (State Express Transport Corporation) bus stand, was in the habit of forcing individuals to clean the septic tank and remove human excreta with bare hands.
On Friday, an elderly person who was forced to clean the toilet thus was injured when a broken bottle piece cut his hand.
According to sources, the contractor has been charging exorbitant amounts from people to let them use the facility.
An employee who did not want to be named told The New Indian Express, “For men, we collect Rs 5 and for women, we charge Rs 10. That’s the amount our contractor has instructed us to collect. Also, many individuals consume alcohol inside the toilets and flush food packets and glass bottles into the toilet. As a result, the septic tank gets clogged and the contractor forces the workers to clean it with bare hands.”
Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) Deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila however assured that action will be taken against manual scavenging.
“We have already issued a notice, imposed fines, and cancelled the contract of the "Namma Toilet" near the Gandhipuram Bus stand. A few contracts for the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of the public toilets across the city are set to expire soon. We’ve already prepared the tender document and are awaiting C-Sanction from the mayor. Once we receive the nod we shall float the tender,” she added.
According to Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR), the practice of removing human excreta from sewers or septic tanks by hand is banned across the country.
In view of this, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap issued a warning in November 2022 to all public, private, and commercial establishments against manual scavenging. He also warned that a fine of Rs 15 lakh would be imposed on persons in case of loss of life during such acts. However, several individuals and institutions in the city continue to engage humans to clean septic tanks and sewers.