NEW DELHI: People who employ labourers for manual scavenging of sewer lines and septic tanks will now be booked for culpable homicide in case of their deaths. This direction was issued by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday after he chaired a meeting of the state-level monitoring committee for prohibiting employment under Manual Scavengers Act, 2013.“In case of death of an individual entering a sewer line or septic tank, the person in-charge of the cleaning work will face charges under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and not 304A (causing death by negligence),” said social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam. While conviction under Section 304 invites imprisonment for a term that may extend to 10 years, 304A has a prison term of two years.Several manual scavengers have died while cleaning sewer lines in Delhi in the recent years. In the meeting, it was observed that Prohibition of Manual Scavengers Act has not been effectively implemented and deaths of manual scavengers have not stopped despite the ban on the hazardous practice.“The deaths of manual scavengers or those involved in manual cleaning of septic tanks have been taken very seriously. After a detailed discussion, the CM gave strict instructions to implement the Act effectively. Delhi government seeks to rehabilitate manual scavengers and eradicate this inhuman practice to provide them a dignified life,” Gautam said.The government has directed district magistrates to conduct a fresh survey to identify manual scavengers in their districts as the earlier survey was found to be dubious. The survey on prevalence of manual scavenging has been completed in three districts and 45 people involved in such activity have been identified to be given a job in civil defence.“If the survey indicates that there are no manual scavengers in the area, the DM will be held responsible in case of any death during manual cleaning of septic tanks or sewers,” said the minister.The SC/ST welfare department has been directed to draft a scheme for rehabilitation of family members of the deceased manual scavengers within a week. “All ADMs have been directed to try all cases under Manual Scavengers Act so that a sense of fear is created at large so that people are not made to go inside sewer lines and septic tanks,” Gautam said.Kejriwal has asked Gautam to conduct an inquiry into why no meeting of the state-level monitoring committee was held in the last nine months when there is provision to hold one meeting in six months. A report on the deaths of manual scavengers in the last five years has also been sought from the department concerned.

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