Why in news
- Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment organized a national workshop titled 'Mission Zero: Ending Fatalities in Sanitation Work' under the NAMASTE scheme.
What is the NAMASTE Scheme?
- National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
- Aims to eradicate manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks by achieving 100% mechanization of sanitation operations.
- National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) functions as the nodal implementing agency.
Key operational focus
- Ensuring zero fatalities during sewer and septic tank cleaning across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
- Provision of protective gear, safety equipment, capital support for mechanization, and health insurance to sanitation workers.
Key terms
NSKFDC
National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation, a Section 8 non-profit company under MSJE.
Prelims facts
- NAMASTE scheme is jointly run by MSJE and MoHUA.
- NSKFDC acts as the nodal implementation agency for NAMASTE.
Mains discussion
- Mechanisms required to completely eliminate hazardous manual sanitation work in urban India.
Source: PIB English