Manual scavenging
Encyclopedia
Manual scavenging is manual removal of excreta (night soil
) from "dry toilets", i.e., toilet
without the modern flush system, especially in the Indian subcontinent.
The system of building employing people for public sanitation was introduced during the British rule in India perhaps in the late 19th century when municipalities were organized. The toilets often used a container that needed to be emptied daily.
Chamber pot
s were used by aristocracy in Europe, where there was often a need to avoid going out in the cold. A chaise percée was brought in when needed.
Manual scavenging is said to have started in 1214 in Europe when the first public toilets appeared. The water closet was invented by John Harrington in 1596. In 1870, S.S. Helior invented the flush type toilet, and it became common in the western world. This caused other types of toilets to disappear in the western world. All surface toilets were abandoned in western Europe in mid-1950s.
In India in 1970s, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak
introduced his "Sulabh
" concept for building and managing public toilets in India, which has introduced hygienic and well-managed public toilet system.
Manual scavenging still survives in parts of India without proper sewage systems. In 1970s the state of Karnataka passed a law to ban manual scavenging. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 punishes the employment of scavengers or the construction of dry (non-flush) latrines with imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 2,000. However some municipalities still run public dry-toilets. The central government has planned eradication of Manual Scavenging by 2007.
Night soil
Night soil is a euphemism for human excrement collected at night from cesspools, privies, etc. and sometimes used as a fertilizer. Night soil is produced as a result of a waste management system in areas without community infrastructure such as a sewage treatment facility, or individual septic...
) from "dry toilets", i.e., toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
without the modern flush system, especially in the Indian subcontinent.
The system of building employing people for public sanitation was introduced during the British rule in India perhaps in the late 19th century when municipalities were organized. The toilets often used a container that needed to be emptied daily.
Chamber pot
Chamber pot
A chamber pot is a bowl-shaped container with a handle, and often a lid, kept in the bedroom under a bed or in the cabinet of a nightstand and...
s were used by aristocracy in Europe, where there was often a need to avoid going out in the cold. A chaise percée was brought in when needed.
Manual scavenging is said to have started in 1214 in Europe when the first public toilets appeared. The water closet was invented by John Harrington in 1596. In 1870, S.S. Helior invented the flush type toilet, and it became common in the western world. This caused other types of toilets to disappear in the western world. All surface toilets were abandoned in western Europe in mid-1950s.
In India in 1970s, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak
Bindeshwar Pathak
Bindheshwar Pathak is an Indian sociologist. He is the founder of Sulabh International, an India-based social service organization which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education...
introduced his "Sulabh
Sulabh International
Sulabh International is an Indian based social service organization which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education. The organization counts 50,000 volunteers. Sulabh International is the...
" concept for building and managing public toilets in India, which has introduced hygienic and well-managed public toilet system.
Manual scavenging still survives in parts of India without proper sewage systems. In 1970s the state of Karnataka passed a law to ban manual scavenging. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 punishes the employment of scavengers or the construction of dry (non-flush) latrines with imprisonment for up to one year and/or a fine of Rs 2,000. However some municipalities still run public dry-toilets. The central government has planned eradication of Manual Scavenging by 2007.