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Since NAMASTE's 2023 launch, 2.71 lakh PPE kits have been distributed and 1.81 lakh sanitation workers/waste pickers covered under health insurance; 1,023 workers received capital assistance for mechanised equipment and 20,293 completed safety/skill training.
Between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2026, 332 sanitation workers died during hazardous sewer/septic-tank cleaning; full compensation was paid in 268 cases and partial compensation in 18.
Of 58,098 manual scavengers identified in 2013 and 2018 surveys, all received one-time cash assistance, while 27,926 completed skill training and 2,803 received capital subsidy for self-employment.
Eliminate hazardous manual sanitation work via mechanisation and worker welfare
Key: PPE distribution, capital assistance for machines, skill training, health insurance for sewer/septic-tank workers and waste pickers
Socio-economic rehabilitation of identified manual scavengers
Key: One-time cash assistance, skill development, capital subsidy for self-employment, based on 2013 and 2018 identification surveys
Statutory commission monitoring implementation of the Manual Scavengers Act, 2013; investigates complaints and tracks sanitation-worker deaths/compensation
Provides financial assistance and loans for self-employment and skill development to safai karamcharis and their dependents
Bans manual scavenging, mandates mechanised sewer/septic-tank cleaning, and provides for survey-based identification and rehabilitation of manual scavengers
GS Paper 2 > Governance > Social Justice & Vulnerable Sections
'Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan' is a national campaign to
Answer: eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers
Recurring Parliament reply on sanitation-worker welfare
National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem — a 2023 scheme replacing hazardous manual sewer/septic-tank cleaning with mechanised solutions, providing PPE, equipment assistance, training and health insurance to sanitation workers.