look news india
New Delhi, 20 February (HS). The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Center and the Delhi government while hearing a petition seeking an effective law to stop manual scavenging and cleaning of sewers. The bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan has directed to file the reply within eight weeks. The next hearing of the case will be on July 04.
The petition has been filed by Kallu, who cleans sewer and septic tanks. Advocate Pawan Rele, appearing for the petitioner, said that the present law has failed to stop the inhumane work of manual scavenging and cleaning of sewers. It has been said in the petition that a demand has been made to remove the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act and some of its provisions. The petition states that some provisions of this law are in violation of Articles 14, 17, 21 and 23 of the Constitution.
The petition demands rehabilitation of the families of manual scavengers and sewer cleaners. The petition states that there is a need for rehabilitation of people and their families involved in collecting and disposing of human excreta. The petitioner himself has been involved in the disposal of human waste going into the sewerage for decades. His brother died in 2017 while cleaning sewers in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar. It has been said in the petition that the dignity of every person has been given priority in the Indian Constitution, but under the guise of cleaning work, manual scavenging and manual cleaning of sewers is being carried out openly.
