How can Manual Scavengers be rehabilitated?

Both in urban and rural areas, if the officers of the Municipality or the Panchayat believe that manual scavenging may be taking place in their area of control, they have to do a survey and create a list of manual scavengers. The Municipality and the Panchayat have a duty to rehabilitate the people included in this list. The District Magistrate is responsible for rehabilitating manual scavengers in that district in accordance with this law. The District Magistrate or the State Government may assign responsibilities to subordinate officers and officers in the Municipality. The process for rehabilitation is as follows:

• Immediate help – Give them a photo ID and some cash within 1 month.
• Children’s education – Their children can get a government scholarship.
• Property – The government must put in place schemes under which the person is allotted land and money to build a house or money for a built house.
• Training for other jobs – The government has to help train either the person or another adult member of their family in other skills. The person should also be paid Rs. 3000 during the time they are undergoing training.
• Loan – The government must put in place schemes under which the person (or another adult family member) has the option of getting a subsidy or loan with lower interest rates to help them get into another field or occupation.
• Other Help – The government can choose to give them any other kind of legal or other help.
• Government Schemes – The Central Government has put in place a scheme called the ‘Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation’ of Manual Scavengers. Read more about the scheme here. There are numerous loan schemes put in place by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation which are offered through state channelling agencies. Read more about how to avail such schemes here.