The National Safai Karamchari Commission has directed authorities in Gautam Budh Nagar to strictly enforce the ban on manual scavenging and ensure mechanised cleaning of sewers and drains, officials said on Tuesday.
The directions followed a review of sanitation-related incidents and working conditions of sanitation workers in Noida and Greater Noida conducted earlier this week, officials said.
At the review, officials were instructed to ensure that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, is implemented in both letter and spirit, and that no sanitation worker is deployed for hazardous or life-threatening cleaning activities.
The commission, functioning under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment, visited multiple locations on Monday in the district, which included Sector 63, Sector 37 and a residential society in Sector 150, as part of its assessment of compliance with safety norms and mechanisation requirements, officials said.
“The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, clearly mandates mechanised cleaning of sewers and drains, and manual entry is prohibited under all circumstances. All agencies must ensure strict compliance with the law and safeguard the lives and dignity of sanitation workers,” said commission secretary Rahul Kashyap at the meeting.
District administration officials said the directions also reiterated provisions under the 2013 Act relating to compensation, noting that families of sanitation workers who have died during cleaning operations are entitled to ₹30 lakh, along with other admissible benefits, and that eligible families should not face delays in receiving assistance.
The commission instructed all sanitation agencies and private contractors operating in the district to submit complete details of their workers, including family particulars, nominees, insurance coverage, provident fund and employee state insurance status. It also directed that personal protective equipment be provided regularly to all sanitation workers.
To reduce dependence on manual cleaning, the commission said modern sanitation equipment can be procured under the Centre’s Namaste scheme, and asked urban local bodies, development authorities, municipal councils and nagar panchayats to ensure the availability of adequate machinery. Officials were also asked to publicise the sanitation grievance helpline number 14420.
The commission further directed district authorities to prepare updated status reports on pending cases and submit them to the commission, and to activate district-level monitoring committees to regularly review safety conditions, implementation of welfare schemes and compliance by agencies. Regular health check-up camps for sanitation workers, along with training programmes on the safe use of machines, gas detection and first aid, were also recommended.
“The district administration will ensure strict compliance with all directions issued by the commission. Monitoring mechanisms will be strengthened, agencies will be held accountable for worker safety, and periodic reviews will be conducted to ensure that mechanisation and welfare measures are implemented effectively,” said chief development officer Shivakant Dwivedi at the meeting.