Parliament Question: Rehabilitation of Sanitation Workers

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1467 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2026 REHABILITATION OF SANITATION WORKERS 1467. SHRI ESWARASAMY K: Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government maintains data to identify persons engaged in manual scavenging and hazardous sanitation work under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, if so, the number identified, State and year-wise; (b) the details of financial assistance, one-time cash support, skill development training and concessional loans provided under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers during the last five years, State and year-wise; (c) the number of deaths reported due to sewer and septic tank cleaning during the last five years and the compensation paid to the families of the deceased, State and year-wise; and (d) the funds allocated, released and utilised for mechanisation of sewer cleaning operations and rehabilitation initiatives, State and year-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT | (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE) (a): 58,098 manual scavengers have been identified during two surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018. The number of the identified manual scavengers, State/UT-wise is at Annexure-I. Recently, a fresh survey of manual scavengers, as per the provisions of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013” has been conducted in all districts of the country in which no manual scavenger has been found. (b): One Time Cash Assistance has been provided to all the identified eligible manual scavengers. Year-wise and State-wise details of Skill Development Training and capital subsidy provided under the NAMASTE scheme during last five years, is at Annexure-II. (c): As reported by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), State-wise and year-wise details of sanitation workers who lost their lives due to hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks and compensation paid to the legal heirs / dependents of the deceased sanitation workers from 01.01.2021 to 30.06.2026 is at Annexure-IIl.(d): Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched Swachh Bharat Mission — Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 on 15* October, 2021. It includes a new component i.e. Used Water management (UWM) with one of the objectives as eradication of hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks and sustaining elimination of manual cleaning, through mechanization of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations. Central share funds for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with population less than 1 lakh are released for procuring adequate number of septic tank de- sludging equipment, etc. Under UWM component of SBM-U 2.0 (2021-26), Government has allocated Rs. 15926.55 crores as Central Share to States / UT's for mission period and not to year-wise. Out of the allocated funds, action plan having Central Share of Rs. 15421.72 crore have already been approved.Annexure-I Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1467 for answer on 28.07.2026 regarding ‘Rehabilitation of Sanitation Workers’. State/UT-wise number of the manual scavengers identified in the surveys conducted in 2013 and 2018 is as under:- S.No. State Survey conducted | Survey conducted Total in 2013 in 2018 1. Andhra Pradesh 59 1734 1793 2. Assam 150 3771 3921 3. Bihar 131 - 131 4, Chhatisgarh 3 - 3 5. Gujarat - 105 105 6. Jharkhand - 192 192 7. Karnataka 689 2238 2927 8. Kerala - 518 518 9. Madhya Pradesh 36 474 510 10. | Maharashtra - 6325 6325 11. | Odisha 230 - 230 12. | Punjab 90 141 231 13. | Rajasthan 333 2340 2673 14. | Tamil Nadu 342 56 398 15. | Uttar Pradesh 11589 20884 32473 16. | Uttarakhand 134 4854 4988 17. | West Bengal 95 585 680 Grand Total 13881 44217 58098Annexure-II Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1467 for answer on 28.07.2026 regarding ‘Rehabilitation of Sanitation Workers’. Year—wise and State-wise details of Skill Development Training and capital subsidy provided under the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) and National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme during last five years is as under:- Total number Skill Development Training Programme Capital Subsidy S.No. of manual State s ic da ev ne tn ifg ie er ds 2021-22 | 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26 1 | Andhra Pradesh 1793 72 - - - - - - - - - 2 Assam 3921 60 138 - - - - - - 2 7 3 Bihar 131 - - - - - - - - - - 4 Chhattisgarh 3 - - - - - - - - - - 5 Gujarat 105 - - - - - - - - - - 6 Jharkhand 192 - - - - - - - - - - 7 Karnataka 2927 98 - 228 - 89 208 315 130 18 - 8 Kerala 518 - - 12 - - - - - - - 9 | Madhya Pradesh 510 - 145 - - - - - - - - 10 | Maharashtra 6325 234 72 - 153 113 1 2 6 - 56 11 | Odisha 230 - - - - - - - - - - 12 | Punjab 231 - - - - - - 5 - - - 13 | Rajasthan 2673 128 480 302 184 256 - - - 14 32 14. | Tamil Nadu 398 - - - - - - - - - - 15 | Uttar Pradesh 32473 2036 2300 1270 978 1041 107 8 55 32 109 16 | Uttarakhand 4988 195 279 172 316 502 - - - 22 - 17. | West Bengal 680 - - 16 - - 61 384 - - - Total 58098 2823 3414 2000 1631 2001 377 714 191 88 204Annexure-III e-III referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1467 for answer on 28.07.2026 regarding ‘Rehabilitation of Annexur Sanitation Workers’. State-wise and year-wise details of sanitation workers who lost their lives due to hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks and compensation paid to the legal heirs / dependents of the deceased sanitation workers from 01.01.2021 to 30.06.2026 is as under:- 2021 2022 2023 — 2024 2025 Upto 30.06.2026 S. 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