Mangalore: Despite Ban, Manual Scavenging Goes on in City
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore, Nov 7: Despite ban on manual scavenging by the high court, two workers were found engaged in cleaning manhole manually at Kankanady here on Tuesday November 6.
The duo had entered the manhole and were engaged in cleaning from 9 am to 10 am.
Manual scavenging, the practice of employing human beings to clean manholes and sewers, is banned under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prevention) Act, 1993.
Instead of manual scavenging, the court has asked to make use of jet sucker machines to clean manholes. However, the practice seems to be continuing in in the city.
Sources told Daijiworld that auto sucker machines to clean manholes will soon be implemented in the city, as said by MCC commissioner Harish Kumar.
Even though the machine is small in size, it has high potentiality to clean manholes in an efficient manner. The price of each machine is approximately to Rs 5 lac.