Ferozepur February 16, 2019: Rattan Rawan, head of Aadi Dharam Samaj – AADHAS had raised questions over the safety of the safai karamchari - sewer men tasked with doing the menial jobs, which no one else owns up to.
He has taken the initiative to knock the doors of the government for the welfare of sewer men, in view of their number of deaths, by entering the manholes without wearing masks and safety kits, due to toxic gases. The families of sewer men, who died while cleaning the sewer lines, had to wait for compensations as fixed by the Supreme Court.
Still in violation of the law – Prohibition of Manual Scavenging Act, 2013 – against ‘hazardous cleaning, without wearing safety kits are seen before into a manhole and more often than not, the workers suffocate to death.
Speaking to the media persons, Rattan Rawat said, in the event of the death of a sewer man, no police case is registered, what to say of justice and compensation. Only a small amount is released whereas the life of a man is important than compensation. There is no insurance provision also.
He said the life of sewer man is like a bomb in the form of toxic gases, iron and glass pieces available in the manhole.
Leveling charges on the political parties, he said, none of the political party has made it a part of its agenda despite the number of deaths of sewermen and this job has been confined to only one class.
To give a wakeup call to the political parties, we have decided to assemble at Jantar Mantar on February 25, 2019, to protest in which Dalits from all over India would join and present a memorandum to include the issue in the election manifesto, he added.
He also threatened to intensify the agitation in case there is no immediate solution to this problem.