National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem

Background

Although, with the efforts under Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) and other efforts of the Government, the menace of manual scavenging has been almost eliminated, a number of sewer/septic tank related deaths due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, are reported in the press from time to time. Such cases are taken up with the concerned State Government for payment of compensation of Rs.10 lakh as per Supreme Court orders. Thus, the main problem these days is hazardous cleaning of Sewer and Septic tanks and non observance of safety precautions due to which precious human life is lost.

To eliminate hazardous cleaning, stop deaths of sewer and septic tank workers and ensure their safety and dignity, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) have jointly formulated a Scheme namely National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). The existing components of SRMS have been kept as components of NAMASTE Scheme.

NAMASTE aims to create an enabling ecosystem that recognizes Sewer and Septic Tank workers (SSWs) as one of the key contributors in operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure (Sewer and Septic Tanks) thereby providing sustainable livelihood and enhancing their occupational safety through capacity building and improved access to safety gear and machines. 

Coverage and Outlay

The scheme is to be implemented in all 4800+ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country, during the three years upto 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs. 349.70 crore.

Interventions of NAMASTE Component

• Profiling of Sewer/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) : NAMASTE envisages profiling of the Sewer/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs). List of SSWs would be obtained from the concerned ULBs and thereafter detailed profiling of the SSWs would be undertaken through profiling camps.
• Occupational Safety Training and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits to SSWs
• Assistance for Safety Devices to Sanitation Response Units (SRUs) for hazardous cleaning operations.
• Extending Health Insurance Scheme Benefits: For providing a safety net to identified SSWs and their families, they will be covered under the
• Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The premium for AB-PMJAY for those identified Manual scavengers and SSWs families who are not covered earlier shall be borne under NAMASTE.
• Livelihood Assistance: The Action Plan will promote mechanization and enterprise development. National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC) will provide funding support and capital subsidy to the Manual Scavengers, sanitation workers and their dependents to procure sanitation related equipment and vehicles under Swachhata Udyami Yojana (SUY) to make them “Saniprenure”. In addition to this, providing capital subsidy to identified manual scavengers and their dependents for self employment project will be continued.
  Identified manual scavengers and their dependents will be provided skill development training for a period upto two years with monthly stipend of Rs.3000/-.
• Convergence of Programmes of MoSJE & MoHUA: The safety of SSWs is a joint responsibility of MoSJE and MoHUA. Hence, the intent of NAMASTE is to strengthen convergence amongst both Ministries for governance and implementation of the NAMASTE components. The Action Plan leverages the available financial allocations of existing SRMS, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
• Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) and NSKFDC and brings in a focused approach to provide occupational, social and financial safety nets to the SSWs.
• IEC Campaign: Massive campaigns would be undertaken jointly by the ULBs & NSKFDC to spread awareness about the interventions of NAMASTE. Electronic and print media and hoardings at prominent locations shall be used for the campaign in local language and English/Hindi. Maximum use of social media during the publicity would be ensured.
• MIS and Website: There will be strong MIS implementation and monitoring with the help of dedicated website for NAMASTE.
  Link for the following achievements have been made under erstwhile Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) during the last 9 years under :

Expected outcomes

The scheme aims to achieve the following outcomes:

• Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India.
• All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers.
• No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter.
• Sanitation workers are collectivized into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
• All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods.
• Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and Urban Local Body (ULB) levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work.
• Increased awareness among sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers.

Implemenation 

The National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) is the implementing agency for NAMASTE.

MoHUA has shortlisted type of machineries and core equipments required for maintenance works, safety gear for Safai Mitras (workers engaged in sewer maintenance and desludging operations). The same is also available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for ease of their procurement by States/ULBs. The objectives are adequate availability of required equipment for mechanized desludging. MoHUA also developed a tool to calculate the required workforce and equipment for ULBs to meet their requirements depending upon their population, existing sewer networks and peculiar issues faced by them which can help ULBs to plan for mechanized desludging. Provision of central financial assistance for desludging has been made available for less than 1 lakh population cities under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban. 

Skill Development and trainings of Safai Mitras is being taken up with the support of the MoSJE through the National Safai Karamchari Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC). Various uniform designs, meant for different categories of sanitation workers have been disseminated to States/Union Territories.

“NAMASTE has a major component of providing concessional loan to sewers and septic tank workers for purchase of machines for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. The details of the assistance and major terms and conditions to repay the loan are as follows:-

• Concessional loan upto ₹15.00 lakh would be provided to individual sewer and septic tankers. In case of group, projects costing upto ₹50.00 lakh would be assisted.
• Loan would be provided at maximum interest rate of 6% p.a.
• The loan would be repaid in 7 years.
• The scale of admissible capital subsidy for sanitation related projects is as under:-
  
  • Project cost upto ₹5.00 lakh - 50% of the project cost 
  • Project cost above ₹5.00 lakh and upto ₹15.00 lakh - ₹2.50 lakh + 25% of the remaining project cost above ₹ 5.00 lakh 
  • For Group projects costing upto ₹50.00 lakh with each beneficiary project share maximum upto ₹ 10.00 lakh - Same as above with maximum per member capital subsidy of ₹3.75 lakh and maximum group project subsidy of ₹18.75 lakh.
• Concerned ULB would be pursued to provide work assurance to sanitation worker purchasing the machine

Ministry also promotes ULBs and Safai Mitras to avail loans provided by MoSJE under its Swachhta Udyami Yojna to procure equipment and vehicles for cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

The Government has formulated various structure like Responsible Sanitation Authority (RSA) and Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU) to ensure that only trained professionals are exposed to any potential hazard with appropriate safety gear, as a last resort, if the mechanized equipment is unable to make necessary improvement. 

To view the complete scheme guidelines, click here.

Source : Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment