Safai Karmachari Andolan

1-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.
2-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.
3-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.
4-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.