The inhuman practice of manual scavenging is
prevalent in Berhampur, notwithstanding its ban. In 1993, the Employment of
Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act was
implemented here for total removal of manual scavenging.
While the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) and
the State Government slept over the issue, a report by the Union Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment (referring to the Census data of 2011) in July
revealed about existence of 7,547 insanitary latrines in urban areas of the
State including Berhampur. Acting on this figure, the Urban Development Department requested the Registrar-General of
India to indicate the number of urban bodies in Odisha where the practice of
manual scavenging was on.
Accordingly, the Registrar General put the figure at
129 households within the Corporation limits. As per the report, there are
67,397 households (excluding institutional households) in 37 wards of BMC. Of
them 57,800 households have latrine facility on their premises? While 42,547
households have septic tanks, 7,346 have piped sewer system, 1,687 are with
other systems, 1,135 have slab ventilated improved pits, 392 households have
open pits without slabs.
The report further states that 4,231 household’s
dispose of night soil into open drains, the same is removed by manual
scavengers from 129 households and that of 333 households are serviced by
animals. Likewise, 9,597 households within BMC limits have no latrine facility
on their premises, 1,731 families use public toilets and 7,861 families resort
to open defecation. Following the report, the
BMC directed its health wing to carry out
door-to-door survey instead of putting up advertisements in local dailies and
urging people to furnish exact information in this regard. However, the health
wing is yet to begin its work.
Source: New Indian Express
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