Page 2 - LN- Std 8 - civics - Chap 7 - Subtopic - 3

Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition)

Act 1993 -:
 The law prohibits the employment of manual scavengers as well as the

construction of dry latrines.

 In 2003 the Safai Karmachari Andolan and 13 other organisations and
individuals including 17 scavengers filed a PIL in the Supreme Court.

 They complained that manual scavenging still existed and was there in

government undertakings like the railways. The petitioner sought enforcement
of their Fundamental Rights.

 The court observed that the number of manual scavengers has increased
since 1993 law.

 Within 6 months all facts had to be verified and if manual scavenging exists

than the government department has to make a time bound programme for
their liberation and rehabilitation.

Adivasi Demands and the 1989 Act -:

 The 1989 act is important because it defended the rights of the Adivasis to
occupy the land that was traditionally their.

 Adivasis have been forcibly displaced.

 Those who have forcibly occupied tribal land should be punished under
the law.

 The Constitution says that land belonging to tribal people cannot be

bought or sold by non – tribal’s.
 The Constitution guarantees the rights of tribal people to repossess their

land.
C K Janu – Adivasi Activist -:

 One of the violators of the Constitutional rights guaranteed to tribal’s are

governments of various states of India for they allow the non – tribal
encroachers like timber merchants, paper mills to forcibly evict Tribal people

from their traditional forests.
 The government has declared forest as reserved forests or sanctuaries.