AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court, on November 10, expressed its dissent on the practice of manual scavenging in Gujarat. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Manav Garima, an NGO in 2016 when the bench, headed by Justice S R Brahmbhatt said, “We record our utter dissatisfaction qua the situation so far as manual scavenging is concerned.” Through the PIL, the NGO has been asserting that the authorities must act to end the inhuman practice of manual scavenging and that if the authorities follow all provisions of law, there would be no need for the court to repeatedly insist on this.
The PIL also sought the High Court’s direction to the state authorities to implement the Supreme Court order mandating payment of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of sanitation workers who died after entering manholes since 1993. The petitioning NGO claimed that the government does not make full payments in such cases.
The High Court has said to issue directions to the concerned authorities properly implementing the law abolishing the practice of manual scavenging.