Licensing must for private firms cleaning sewers, says Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment- The New Indian Express

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has applied for compulsory licensing of private cleaning agencies to curb sewer death.

According to Parliament, there were 110 deaths in the sewer system last year.

The Ministry’s changes proposed in the Law on the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation are currently being approved by the Cabinet.

The ministry has proposed amending the law to broaden its scope and strengthen the existing provisions “to make it more coherent, meaningful and forceful”.

Currently, most municipalities and local authorities are hiring private authorities to clean sewers and septic tanks and transport septic tank waste from septic tanks to sewage treatment plants, according to the national action plan for a mechanized sanitation system.

Agencies that have facilities for machine cleaning and waste handling should get licenses, it said.

The national measure proposed the establishment of sanitary response units in each district to deal with emergency situations.

The units would be equipped with sanitary vehicles and a sector reserve that would include suction equipment and sewer maintenance equipment.

It would also be responsible for developing facilities to train and certify plumbing workers either internally or through reputable institutions, the national action plan states.