Compensation for manual scavengers' death increased

CHENNAI: In a bid to discourage contractors and individuals from engaging manual scavengers to clean underground sewer lines and septic tanks, the Greater Chennai Corporation has hiked compensation provided to the families of the workers, in case of asphyxiation deaths, to Rs 15 lakh from Rs 10 lakh. A resolution has been adopted in the council meeting, on Thursday.

According to the resolution, the Supreme Court has fixed Rs 10 lakh compensation in 2014 for the families of deceased workers. The court recently directed to increase the compensation as per present prices of commodities. Based on the order, a meeting was conducted in December 2021 by the Chief Secretary and a decision to increase the compensation to Rs 15 lakh was taken. Also, a decision to increase the compensation by Rs 1.50 lakh once in every three years. Moreover, a government order was issued in June 2022 regarding the increase.

As per the resolution, concerned local body should provide Rs 15 lakh to the families of the workers if they are employed by the particular local body to clean underground sewer lines and septic tanks.

Similarly, individuals or contractors should provide the compensation if they employ manual scavengers. If any individual is not in position to provide the compensation in full, concerned local bodies should contribute the remaining amount.

The resolution has come a few days after the State government released Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Rules, 2022 to ensure safety of the workers.

According to the rules, persons who employ workers to clean sewer or septic tanks should provide as many as 44 types of safety equipment to the workers.

The rules define 'employer' as an individual or a local authority or an agency or a contractor who engages persons for cleaning, carrying, disposing of waste water or sewage in the machine holes or septic tanks or drainage.

As per the State government records, as many as 43 workers lost their lives while cleaning septic tanks and sewer manually in the state in 2021.

The local authorities should identify manual scavengers and hand over Rs. 40,000 as one-time cash assistance immediately after identification for rehabilitation.