Manual scavenging - Scenario, threats and feasible solutions
Why manual scavenging Have you ever met those people who clean sewers? They are from the poor and often the uneducated unorganized sector of the society – the easily exploitable class of the society. India is a country where millions of people in the urban and rural do not have access to adequate sanitation. Open defecation is a common practice. The urban society produce wastes. Our urban planners have created sewer lines running throughout the cities that eventually take all the sewage generated in a city and probably into some sea. These sewer lines should be cleaned in order to remove any clogs. Poverty and unemployment forces people to take up this profession. Risks of manual scavenging Lakhs of people engaged in manual scavenging works in unorganized sector do not normally use any personal protective equipments. This can lead to medical issues like skin diseases, nausea, jaundice, anemia. The H2S gas Hydrogen sulfide/ H2S is a colourless gas known for it