NSKFDC Workshop

Workshops on Prevention of Hazardous Cleaning of Sewers and Septic Tanks

Project Name : NSKFDC Workshop

Department : National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation(NSKFDC) - Undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (M/o SJ&E) 

There is a spurt of unfortunate incidents of deaths of sewer/ septic workers all over the country. These deaths take place while cleaning sewers and septic tanks due to toxic fumes or asphyxiation while cleaning. These incidents are examples of negligence of the civic authorities on the provisions of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 (MS Act 2013)” and the rules made thereunder regarding hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

Main provisions of the MS Act 2013, which came into force in all States/ UTs (except J&K) on 6^th December, 2013 and the Rules framed thereunder, are:

1. No person, local authority or any agency shall engage or employ, either directly or indirectly, any person for hazardous cleaning of serer or a septic tank.
2. Hazardous cleaning by an employee in relation to a sewer or septic tank, means its manual cleaning by such employee
3. The local authority shall ensure that the cleaning devices listed in the rule are used by persons engaged in cleaning of sewer or septic tank
4. The employee shall ensure safety precautions given in the Rules, before, during and post-cleaning of sewer or a septic tank

Proposed schedule of the workshop