Technology and Equipment for Sanitation

Though much progress has been made in improving the sanitation facilities under the Swachh Bharat Mission, more investments are required to be made for inducting better technologies and equipment for making hazardous cleaning operations safer.

Although this is a State Government subject, under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing Central Assistance (CA) covering the scientific management of solid wastes, decentralised composting by Bulk Waste Generators in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), setting-up of centralised composting plants, scientific land filling and land remediation, management of plastic waste and the Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste in an integrated manner.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (M/o HUA) had launched a ‘Technology Challenge for identifying and promoting solutions for cleaning and maintenance of sewerage systems and septic tanks to eliminate need for human entry’.

Under the Swacchata Udyami Yojana (SUY), this Ministry assists the sanitation workers to own mechanical cleaning equipment.

Under Central Sector Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), the manual scavengers, sanitation workers and their dependants are provided capital subsidy upto Rs. 5.00 lakh for procurement of instruments/vehicles for mechanized cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

M/o HUA have also launched Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge across 246 cities (Municipal Corporation, State Capitals and Smart Cities) to motivate ULBs for prevention of ‘hazardous cleaning’ of sewer and septic tanks and promote mechanized cleaning.

This information was given by The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale in the Loksabha in a written reply today.