‘Don’t give licence to firms without verifying STP plan’
NEW DELHI: After the death of the five manual scavengers at the sewage of a private builder, at Moti Nagar, the experts lashed out at the government saying that the authorities should not provide no objection certificate (NOC) to the private builders till the time they are not submitting an undertaking on sewage treatment plan. Talking to the Millennium
Post Bezwada Wilson of Safai Karamchari Andolan said, “We have urged the Delhi CM and the LG to not give license to any company who does not submit its sewage treatment plan and for the companies which already running the government should take an undertaking from them. This will ensure the safety of these workers.”
Wilson added that despite
a ban on manual scavenging by the Supreme Court and the Delhi government when such incidents happen then it should be a matter of concern which shows that the authorities have not taken many steps to implement the rules. "A ban on paper never works hence the governments should be proactive to tackle the issue. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Anil Baijal should also take up the matter to the Center and even to the Prime Minister to discuss the way out," he said.
Wilson explained that the private builders do not appoint any labourers they bring them through contractors and in this case too these workers were appointed through a contractor. "It is very easy for every authority to say that they are not to be blamed because its true that the labourers were not from Delhi Jal Board, civic bodies or the builder's company. So the blame will go to the contractor and at last, they will also reject the responsibility. When there is a government then the government should guarantee lives of poor people," he said. He added that the manual scavengers in India are Dalits, SCS and STS hence they are very poor. "They take up the profession not by choice but by caste oppression too. They need protection," Wilson said.