New Delhi, June 6 (UNI) The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) on Friday unveiled new guidelines seeking to eliminate unsafe sanitary practices and simultaneously ensure that all cleaning services are carried out with the help of mechanised equipment, reducing the risk to sanitation workers and improving service delivery for citizens.
The framework is aimed at guiding urban local bodies (ULBs) in engaging private sanitation service operators (PSSOs) for the mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks given that such activities often involve hazardous manual cleaning, leading to serious health risks and fatalities among sanitation workers..
The guidelines are also designed to check manual scavenging and ensure compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act, 2013, said a statement from the Ministry.
It introduces a model for empaneling private sanitation service operators (PSSOs), including companies, cooperative societies, self-help groups (SHGs), micro-entrepreneurs, and sani-entrepreneurs. These entities will be tasked with providing mechanized cleaning services across urban areas.
Cities will establish clear procedures for routing citizen requests for sewer and septic tank cleaning through centralised helplines (e.g., 14420), ensuring prompt and professional service delivery, as per the contract framework
It also sets out stringent safety protocols directing that private operators must follow to protect sanitation workers. Those who fail to meet safety standards will be subject to penalties, contract termination, or blacklisting.
In what could be an opportunity for startups and entrepreneurs, the model also emphasises the inclusion of SHGs, sani-entrepreneurs, and micro-entrepreneurs, many of whom benefit from welfare schemes by the National Safai Karamcharis Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
This will help these entities enter the formal sector, promoting economic empowerment and safer working conditions, as per the statement.
Out of an estimated 42 crore urban population in India, about 50% (4.5 crore households) use septic tanks, reflecting a critical need for regular desludging services to safely remove and dispose of faecal sludge at designated treatment locations. Around 35% of the population is connected to sewer networks that require regular maintenance for efficient wastewater flow to treatment plants.
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