No Reports of Manual Scavenging in Five Years, Says Ministry

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported no instances of manual scavenging in the past five years. Minister Ramdas Athawale informed the Rajya Sabha that no credible data was found on the 'Swachhta Abhiyan' app, despite requests for districts to declare their status or upload relevant data.

No reports of manual scavenging have surfaced in the past five years, according to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of State Ramdas Athawale stated that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has asked districts to either declare themselves free from manual scavenging or upload data concerning insanitary latrines and associated manual scavengers on the 'Swachhta Abhiyan' mobile app.

However, Athawale noted that no credible data has been uploaded on the app. He elaborated that while a total of 6,256 cases were reported from 114 districts through the mobile app, all cases were verified and none were found to be credible.

The absence of valid data on manual scavenging raises questions about the effectiveness of monitoring and reporting mechanisms under the 'Swachhta Abhiyan' initiative. The government continues its efforts to eliminate the practice and ensure public health and sanitation.

(With inputs from agencies.)