Water Board plans drive against manual scavenging

​Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to conduct an awareness campaign to discourage manual scavenging with help from the National Commission for Safai Karmachari Andolan in the first week January. The board has decided to form two teams to prevent manual scavenging by making better use of the technologies available.

The Managing Director of HMWS&SB, M Dana Kishore, said that two committees would be formed to eliminate manual scavenging in the city limits. One would study the available technologies in India and abroad that could be used for eradicating manual scavenging.

The other committee would identify the localities in the city from where private scavengers were being engaged and the dangers they faced. This team would also sensitise the permanent sewerage workers of HMWSSB to take precautionary measures and avoid entering manholes.

The committee would use social media to create awareness among the public not to engage private manual scavengers, as it was not only an offence, but also posed danger to the life of the workers. They would also create awareness among the public not to dump unwanted solid waste into the manholes

National Commission for Safai Karmachari Andolan president B Wilson said that about 1,300 deaths of scavengers (who entered manholes, septic tanks) had been reported across the country.

In order to prevent such deaths, there was a need to modernise the sewerage system. The commission had a number of workers and could offer a helping hand to the water board in creating awareness among the public about the need to avoid manual scavenging, he added.