Activists allege manual scavenging is still on

Though the government agencies have constantly reiterated that they have not been using manual labour to clean the drains, the reality seems to be different. 

However, activists do not agree. A Narayanan, director of Change India, who has petitioned for a ban on manual scavenging points, “Contractors hired to clean up the storm water drains are expected to use mechanical devices. But if you see carefully, it doesn’t clearly stipulate this aspect.”

Moreover, there are several illegal sewages in the city and in many instances, it is mixed with the storm water drain and one can only imagine the hazards of a human being entering inside without any safety measures or protective gear. 

In the recent corporation meeting, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy said that the city corporation required to use men to clean storm water drains as they could not depend on machines alone to desilt storm water drains. He further added that the Greater Chennai Corporation will seek legal recourse to defy the ban on manual scavenging. 

This was after DT Next published a report on ‘Manual scavenging, still open menace’. He went on to explain that the storm water drains are not manholes that have sewage water. The mayor’s statement to revoke the ban on manual scavenging in storm water drains did not go down with many. There was also an online petition called ‘Open Challenge to Chennai Mayor Duraisamy: Clean one sewage pipe’ started by Jhatkaa. 

The petition goes on to say, “In December 2013, the Parliament enacted the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013’, yet Mayor Duraisamy wants to bring it back, stating that the Greater Chennai Corporation will seek legal recourse to defy the ban. It further says, “At least 17 people have died between 2003 and 2008 while trying to clear blocked drains, and this doesn’t even take into account the number of deaths caused by diseases.”