Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 comes into force from today. The Law prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, the manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment, and the construction of insanitary latrines.

It also provides for rehabilitation of manual scavengers and alternative employment for them within a time bound manner. Construction or maintenance of insanitary latrines has become an offence now and no one can be employed or engaged as manual scavenger.

Our correspondent reports that under the law each local authority, cantonment board and railway authority is responsible for surveying insanitary latrines within its jurisdiction. They shall also have to construct a number of sanitary community latrines.

Besides, every occupier of insanitary latrines shall be responsible for converting or demolishing the latrine at his own cost. If he fails to do so, the local authority shall convert the latrine and recover the cost from him. The District Magistrate and the local authority are the implementing authorities.