New Delhi: The National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) on Thursday sought a report from the Karnataka
Government on allegations that the practice of manual
scavenging was continuing in the state.
The action came after NHRC took suo motu cognisance of a
media report alleging that manual scavenging was still
continuing in certain parts of Karnataka.
The Commission said that if the contents were true, then
it raise a serious issue of violations of human rights of
the people engaged in manual scavenging.
"A notice has been issued to Karnataka Chief Secretary
calling for a report in the matter within four weeks," an NHRC
spokesperson said.
The Chief Secretary has also been asked to specify the
districts in which manual scavenging was still prevalent and
the steps taken by the state government for its eradication,
after the adoption of "The Employment of Manual Scavengers and
Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act 1993".
According to the report, manual scavenging was banned in
Karnataka in 1970 but despite this about 8,000 manual
scavengers earn their living by clearing human waste in
Karnataka.
The news report has specifically quoted the prevalence of
practice of manual scavenging in the Kennedy lanes in Kolar
field.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, August 18, 2011, 15:41