Existence of manual scavengers in city a disgrace: High Court

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday termed as “disgraceful” the existence of manual scavengers in the national Capital despite a law prohibiting such a practice and said, “We are a country of poor people but not for poor people”.

“A statement was made by the authorities concerned that there were no manual scavengers in Delhi. But the report of Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) shows that there were 233 manual scavenger in the city,” a Bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Ashutosh Kumar said.

“This completely belies the statement made by the Delhi Jal Board, MCDs and other authorities concerned,” it said, adding that “despite the rights that they (manual scavengers) have under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, their presence is indeed disgraceful for the city”. 

The court’s observation came during hearing of a PIL filed in 2007 for rehabilitation of manual scavengers.

The Bench also termed as “ridiculous and shocking”, when it was informed by DSLSA’s Member Secretary, Dharmesh Sharma, that one of the manual scavengers was a “graduate”. 

DSLSA submitted its report on the court’s direction issued to it to verify the veracity of the statements of all agencies.