Launch Date: 28 Feb, 2019

¶ Scheme Details ^[1][2][3][4]

• 200 mechanised sewer-cleaning machines of diff size
  • The Machines placed on CNG-run Trucks
  • Smaller ones to penetrate narrow lanes too
• 7 year govt contracts awarded along with ownership of machines
  • Actual manual scevengers & SC/ST community get it
• 3 DJB employess trained & attached to each machine
  • From families of manual scevengers & SC/ST community

200 additional machines added in July 2022; Total 400

Manual scavenging is completely banned in Delhi now
Dignity of human life restored

i.e. DJB/Delhi Govt does not engage any person for such work, though private properties may need further regulation

¶ Obstacles^[5]

Companies like Metro Waste, which had the responsibility of collecting waste before these machines

• Filed multiple cases against this New Scheme
• They were aggrieved as they lost their contracts
• They accused Delhi Govt of giving almost 100 per cent reservation to SC/ST community and called it unethical.

The court gave a favourable judgment in favour of the Delhi Govt

¶ Financial sustainability: Victims to Entrepreneurs & Stakeholders^[6][7][2:1]

• Each machine costs Rs 40 lakh
• Delhi government provided financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh to each owner
• The rest of the amount was loaned by SBI at an interest rate of 11.1%, to be repaid in five years
• Monthly earning per machine between Rs 2,25,000 and Rs 2,50,000
  • As rate for machine’s running fixed at Rs 17.35 per metre & upto 500 m daily
  • After deductions
    • Salaries of three workers: Rs 50,000
    • CNG Rs 10,000
    • Monthly Loan instalments: Rs 80,000
    • Maintenance etc
  • Owners usually get Rs 40,000 - Rs 45,000 every month (After the deduction of the loan amount)

• After contract of 7 years ends
  • Owner can choose to continue to operate along with Delhi Govt or start their own private business
  • Can Earn upto 1.5 lakh per month

¶ Sufferings before that^[8]

In 2017, Jaspal Singh was the lone survivor of the tragic event around manual scavenging which killed 4 people, including his father and cousin, along with two men from the neighbourhood who entered the tank before him

Jaspal Singh and the others undertook the contract to clean private property tank in Ghitorni, South Delhi . They were told it was a rainwater harvesting tank, in an interview he recalled those horrific momemts

“My father spoke to the farmhouse owner in Ghitorni. He was told there was no danger. When the first man went in, he fainted within minutes. The second went in to save him, and then the third. I called my father in panic. He came rushing, tied a rope around his waist and went into the pit. He too fainted almost immediately. Finally, it was my turn. I think by then some bystander had figured out we were in trouble and called the police as soon as I fainted. Everything went black after that.”.

Jaspal and his mother Gurmeet recollected that they too were sceptical when they were asked to enroll for a scheme of Delhi Govt and how the assurance from the Chief Minister instilled belief in their hearts -

Jaspal and his mother Gurmeet Kaur

Original Article - https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2023/06/dalit-bandhu-arvind-kejriwal-successfully-tackles-manual-scavenging

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1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/arvind-kejriwal-flags-off-200-sewer-cleaning-machines/story-LY3Ox5Qinl7ltXC5aCCYcN.html ↩︎

2. https://www.newslaundry.com/2019/06/03/is-the-delhi-governments-fight-against-manual-scavenging-with-200-sewer-machines-working-on-the-ground ↩︎ ↩︎

3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-tries-to-extract-itself-from-stinking-hole/articleshow/97560847.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

4. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/arvind-kejriwal-delhi-government-200-sewer-cleaning-machines-manual-scavengers-1468212-2019-03-01 ↩︎

5. https://www.livelaw.in/delhi-hc-upholds-jal-boards-preference-to-manual-scavengers-and-their-families-in-tender-for-mechanized-sever-cleaning-read-judgment/ ↩︎

6. https://scroll.in/article/915103/delhi-sewer-cleaning-machine-project-reinforces-link-between-dalits-and-sanitation-work-say-critics ↩︎

7. https://scroll.in/article/992483/delhi-is-trying-to-end-manual-scavenging-by-using-sewer-cleaning-machines-are-its-efforts-working ↩︎

8. https://indianexpress.com/article/delhi/sewage-workers-machines-deaths-septic-gas-hazards-arvind-kejriwal-elections-winds-of-change-8-5783602/ ↩︎