MOHUA to launch awareness campaign on Safemitra Suraksha Challenge;
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Why in the news?
As part of the ‘World toilet Day’ celebrations, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is launching a week long awareness campaign on Safari Mitra Suraksha Challenge (SSC) from November 14th to 20th November 2021 to run up to the ‘Swachh Amrit Diwas.
Objectives:
- To prevent 'hazardous cleaning' of sewers and septic tanks and promote their mechanized cleaning.
Key highlights:
- A total of 246 cities are participating in SSC which is being conducted across the country. The state capitals, urban local bodies and smart cities will be eligible to participate.
- It is one of the government efforts to combat manual scavenging.
- Cities will be awarded in three sub-categories .
- with a population of more than 10 lakhs.
- 3-10 lakhs and upto 3 lakhs.
- MoHUA has also designed standard uniform designs for different categories of sanitation workers across urban India.
- These include Swachhata Commandos (sanitation workers engaged in underground cleaning of sewers and septic tanks),
- Safaimitras (engaged in road sweeping and waste collection)
- Swachhata Supervisors/ Operators.
Key Activities under the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge (SSC)
- 1. Creating citizen awareness against 'hazardous cleaning' of septic tanks,
- 2. Infrastructure creation for mechanized cleaning and capacity building of the workforce,
- 3. A dedicated helpline number(14420) to register complaints and provide real-time solutions on sewer overflow,
- 4. The actual on-ground assessment of participating cities.Based on this assessment, cities will be awarded,
- 5. Organizing Loan Melas.
Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge:
- It was launched on November 19, 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- The challenge aims to ensure that no life of septic tank or sewer cleaner is lost during cleaning.
- The Government of India has legislated The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Rehabilitation Act, 2013 to protect manual sewer cleaners.
Manual Scavenging:
- Manual scavenging is the practice of cleaning or handling human excreta from sewers.
- They are the most disadvantaged and poorest communities in India.
- The Supreme Court of India, in 2014, made it mandatory to provide Rs 10 lakhs as compensation to the families of those who have died during sewerage works.
- ‘The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ as a part of the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry’s National Action Plan.
- The Central Government is currently demolishing insanitary latrines.
- The insanitary latrines are being converted into sanitary latrines. Also, it provides a rehabilitation package to the manual scavengers.
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