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- Following the enactment of the Employment
of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition)
Act in 1993, it is illegal to allow manual scavenging to
continue and the number of dry latrines to be maintained or to increase.
- State governments, in addition to banning
manual scavenging through state legislation, are expected to rehabilitate
and promote the welfare of persons engaged in manual scavenging.
- However, this law has not been implemented,
with no government prosecutions of those employing persons for manual
scavenging or constructing dry latrines. Moreover, central and state
governments continue to utilise dry latrines and employ persons
for cleaning these toilets in municipalities, military cantonments
and railways throughout the country.
- While the Central Government has declared
that manual scavenging would be completely eradicated by several
deadlines, including by 2007, and released crores of rupees to the
State Governments for rehabilitation of persons engaged in this
occupation, none of these deadlines have been met and much of this
money remains unspent.
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