Progress in the Eradication of Manual Scavenging: 249 Districts Declared Free

The government announced that 249 out of 766 districts have declared themselves free of manual scavengers. Compliance with a Supreme Court directive has led to a survey initiative. A mobile application and portal have been launched to monitor manual scavenging and insanitary latrines in urban and rural areas.

The government has made significant progress in eradicating manual scavenging, with 249 out of 766 districts declaring themselves free from this practice. This promising development was revealed by Ramdas Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, during a session in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The advancement follows the Supreme Court's mandate for states and Union territories to conduct surveys identifying manual scavengers. To facilitate this, the government issued comprehensive survey guidelines and encouraged the formation of district-level committees to oversee the process.

In a bid to capture real-time data and further combat this issue, a mobile application and a dedicated portal have been launched. These tools are designed to track and report instances of manual scavenging and insanitary latrines across both urban and rural regions, streamlining efforts to completely eliminate the practice.

(With inputs from agencies.)