National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Launched
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Programme on National Action Plan for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in Bareilly. |
| Launch | 2023-24 as a Central Sector Scheme. |
| Budget Allocation | 349.73 crores for the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26. |
| Ministries Involved | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). |
| Primary Objective | Eliminate manual scavenging and promote safety and dignity of sanitation workers. |
| Key Components | - Profiling of SSWs (Sanitation and Sewer Workers) employed by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).<br>- Provision of occupational safety training, PPE kits, and health insurance under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).<br>- Promotion of self-employment and formal employment through capital subsidies for sanipreneurs.<br>- Inclusion of Waste Pickers in Solid Waste Management in 2024. |
| Objectives | - Socially and economically empower sanitation workers.<br>- Ensure safe, dignified, and sustainable livelihoods.<br>- Promote inclusion, safety, and welfare through PPE and healthcare benefits. |
| Significance | - Improves socio-economic conditions of sanitation workers.<br>- Reduces manual scavenging, promoting healthier and safer work conditions.<br>- Ensures access to health services via Ayushman cards.<br>- Provides alternative livelihood opportunities like sewing machines.<br>- Aligns with SDGs 3 & 8 (health, well-being, and decent work). |
| Manual Scavenging | Defined as the removal of human excrement from public streets, dry latrines, septic tanks, gutters, and sewers. |
| Legal Framework | Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR) bans manual scavenging and recognizes it as a dehumanizing practice. |
| Related Schemes | - Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SESRM)<br>- National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC)<br>- Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan<br>- Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0<br>- Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) |