हिंदी
Delhi, 20 DEC 2023
Under, “National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)”, scheme, profiling/identification of Sewer/Septic Tanks Workers (SSWs) has commenced. Profiling/identification of SSWs is required to provide the benefits inter-alia, of health insurance under AB-PMJAY and for providing training and PPE Kits to SSWs and their family.
One of the key strategies under “National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)” scheme is to establish strong convergence amongst key stakeholders, including NSKFDC, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), to leverage their strengths and their specific roles to achieve the intended outcomes.
The earlier scheme “Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS)” has been subsumed in the NAMASTE scheme applicable from the year 2023-24 and therefore, the financial allocations for NAMASTE are available for activities ,which were available under SRMS, such as to provide capital subsidy, training, organising Workshops on Hazardous Cleaning of Sewers and Septic Tanks etc.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 launched on 1st October, 2021, a new component Used Water Management (UWM) is included with one of the objectives of eradication of hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks, and sustaining elimination of manual scavenging for waste water management for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with population of less than 1 lakh.Under UWM component, Central Financial Assistance is provided to all the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations for taking up following:-
- setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants(STPs)/STP-cum-Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants FSTP; for used water treatment.
- laying Interception and Diversion (I&D) structures including provision of pumping stations and pumping main/gravity main upto STP:
- iii. procuring adequate numbers of septic tank desludging equipments;
- deploying Digital (IT enabled) tools for real time monitoring of efficiency parameters during the operational phase of STPs and allied equipments.
Under SBM-U 2.0, funds to the tune Rs. 15883.58 crores have been allocated under UWM component to the states of which Rs. 1664.93 crores have been released till date.
In addition, NSKFDC is implementing various loan and non-loan based schemes. Under Loan based schemes, NSKFDC provides financial assistance to the Safai Karamcharis, Scavengers and their dependents for any viable income generating schemes including sanitation related activities and for education in India and abroad.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
