NAMASTE Scheme: Empowering India's Sanitation Workers

The NAMASTE scheme aims to uplift India's sanitation workers by providing them with dignity, economic empowerment, and safety. Launched in 2023-24, it targets all 4800+ urban local bodies. The initiative seeks to mechanize sanitation work and promote self-employment opportunities for workers through capital subsidies and safety training.

The 'National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)' scheme has been introduced to uphold the dignity and improve the socio-economic conditions of safai karmacharis, announced Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, during a Rajya Sabha session on Wednesday.

Launched for the fiscal year 2023-24, NAMASTE is aimed at all 4800+ urban local bodies in India. The scheme prioritizes the safety and dignity of sanitation workers, recognizing them as essential contributors to sanitation infrastructure operations and maintenance. It seeks to provide sustainable livelihoods through capacity building and improved access to safety gear and mechanized tools.

Furthermore, NAMASTE seeks to introduce behavioral changes in public perception, promoting demand for safe sanitation services while prohibiting informal workers from engaging in sewer-related tasks. This mechanism is supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, which regularly issues guidelines and has so far sanctioned INR 371 crores to states/UTs for sanitation machinery.

(With inputs from agencies.)