‘Manual scavenging continues to be a problem’
The Hindu
In Karnataka, eight deaths have been reported in 2021
Many activists have raised objections to Union Minister for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale’s recent response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, claiming that no deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging over the last five years. In Karnataka, eight deaths due to manual scavenging have been reported in 2021. Karnataka Safai Karmachari Commission Chairman M. Shivanna Kote told The Hindu that the eight people who died were daily wage workers. “Technically, they cannot be labelled as manual scavengers. Manual scavengers or safai karmacharis or scavengers or pourakarmikas are those who have been appointed specifically by local bodies, such as panchayats, municipalities,” he explained.More Related News