NEW DELHI: The progress in eradication of manual scavenging has been painfully slow, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Justice A.S. Anand said on Saturday. He called upon the State Governments to set a six-month target to convert dry latrines into wet latrines and to conduct surveys in rural areas to collect data on eradication of the practice and rehabilitation of the communities engaged in it.

Addressing a meeting of Central and State Government officials here, he said there was not enough feedback from the States on the progress in the adoption and implementation of the Employment of Manual Scavenging and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.

According to the NHRC, collecting data through surveys is essential to gauge the extent of the problem and to meet the 2007 deadline envisaged by the National Action Plan for total eradication of manual scavenging. Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal, and the Union Territories of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshwadeep and Pondicherry have not adopted the Act.

Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh have not informed the Commission whether they abolished the practice.

Onus on States

Addressing the meeting, Chitra Chopra, Secretary, Union Ministry of Urban Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, said the onus of implementing the Act was on the State Governments. Pointing out that it provided for penal action against those employing persons for manual scavenging, she said that during last year the Uttar Pradesh Government had issued more than a thousand prosecution notices.

Ms. Chopra requested Mr. Justice Anand to organise a separate meeting with the Railway Ministry to ensure that the Railways implemented the Act.

Representatives from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, the Sulabh International Social Service, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation and Action Aid India attended the meeting.

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