How rehabilitation has failed Karnataka’s manual scavengers

Explore the struggles of Karnataka's manual scavengers as rehabilitation efforts fail to improve their health and livelihoods.

While Karnataka has officially identified around 7,400 manual scavengers after the enactment of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the exercise, meant to be a turning point in their life, has failed to help them have a sustained livelihood.

In Mathkur near Hesaraghatta, 24 families were identified in the survey conducted by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC). They were recorded, given ID cards, and brought under the rehabilitation framework.

However, over a decade later, when The Hindu visited the families, none of them reported having a stable livelihood, while many said they continue to deal with health problems linked to the work they once did.

Workers across areas like Dasanapura, Mathkur, and Madanayakanahalli, who spoke to The Hindu, said that years spent on entering septic tanks and dry latrines continue to have serious effects on their health. “We used to get inside the pits without any protection. The smell would make us dizzy, sometimes we would faint. Now I get fits and I cannot sleep properly,” said Shivaganesh.

While rehabilitation was promised, families of manual scavengers in mathkur, near Hessarghatta, continues to live without government support. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Other workers said that during those years they would consume alcohol before entering tanks to cope with the stench and suffocation. “We have stopped now, but the damage is done. Doctors say my liver is affected,” Manjunath M.A., another worker, added.