No death reported due to manual scavenging, govt says in Parliament; activists decry govt response

On the number of deaths of manual scavengers in the country, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry told the House that 66,692 manual scavengers were identified but no "such deaths" were reported.

No death has been reported due to manual scavenging, the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has told Parliament, drawing sharp reaction from activists who said that those people were being robbed of dignity even in their deaths. Manual scavenging is banned under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.