Sewer Deaths: SC Asks Report In 6 Week From Central, State Governments On A PIL

The Supreme Court today sought the state-wise data on the demolition of dry latrines anguished by the continuance of the abhorrent practice of manual scavenging and horrific sewer deaths.

The bench comprising Justices SR Bhat and Dipankar Datta asked the Union government to place on the record within 6 weeks consistent steps to the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment directing a series of measures to be executed by the Centre and the states to identify & rehabilitate manual scavengers as per the two laws – Employment of the Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, and Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

The PIL filed by Dr. Balram Singh, the bench also issued notices to the secretary of the Union ministry of social justice & empowerment, and chairpersons of the National Commission for Safai Karamchari (NCSK), National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes. That posted the matter for further hearing on April 12.

Therefore, the SC asked the Centre to examine the viability of the development of “internet-based solutions for real-time tracking of sewage deaths and action taken by authorities, including the appropriate government towards payment of compensation and rehabilitation of families”.