---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Shiva Shankar <[email protected]> Date: Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 1:35 PM Subject: Manual scavenging on despite ban To:
Manual scavenging on despite ban - The Tribune http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100408/cth2.htm Gurdeep Singh Mann, Tribune News Service Bassi Pathana (Fatehgarh Sahib), April 7 Even after six decades of independence, manual scavenging still goes on unabated in various districts of Punjab, including Fatehgarh Sahib. Members of the Safai Karmchari Andolan have identified 12 scavengers in Bassi Pathana, who clean night soil of influential people for Rs 30 a month. The scavengers, most of them in their sixties, said they had been working for the past 20 years. There is no sewerage connection in some houses of Bassi Pathana and influential families have dug septic tanks. After a few years, people like us, have to clear these septic tanks, said Krishna, a 63-year-old scavenger in Bassi Pathana. She said there were five more persons doing the job, including three men. Her colleagues said several times senior government functionaries had met them and assured jobs, but to no avail. "During elections, people approach us and offer rehabilitation. We are even urged to leave this work, but no one tells us the alternative. These claims fall flat after sometime." Subhash Divasar, a member of Safai Karmchari Andolan, today submitted a memorandum to the Fatehgarh Sahib Deputy Commissioner. He said, "Despite declaring scavenging an illegal act in 1993, practice goes on unabated till date." He said the owner of dry toilets could be put behind bars for one year, besides a fine of Rs 2,000. He claimed that the municipal council, Bassi Pathana, and the Safai Karamchari Andolan had jointly found 12 private safai karamcharis cleaning dry night soil and had come across 23 such toilets in the town. He said notices were issued to owners of these toilets and only four such toilets were razed and the rest continued to exist. He said such practice was on in Amritsar, Patiala, Sangrur and Jalandhar Cantt. Owners of these toilets said they did not have any other option but to employ people to clean their dry night soil, as there was no sewerage system in the town and lack of money and space to construct septic tanks. Deputy Commissioner Yashvir Mahajan when contacted said instructions had been passed to the municipal council through an executive official to immediately construct community toilets under the low cost sanitation scheme to end scavenging. EO Charanjit Singh added that a 15-day notice had been served on owners and the structures would be demolished by tomorrow. "We will replace demolished structures with temporary toilets."
