Maya Khodve is an activist, videographer and Community Correspondent, who lives in a Nashik slum. Nashik Slum has seen some improvements in recent years as India is developing, such as much improved electricity and gutters - the latter being installed in part because of pressure from one of her videos. Yet, toilets and running water are yet to be installed…

Maya Khodve

Share

Nashik District, Maharashtra | Maya Khodve

In December 2014 three men lost their lives at an accident at their work site. All three were conservancy workers who had been hired by contractors working for the Nashik Municipal Corporation.

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, mandates all government bodies, including municipal corporations, railway authorities to identify conservancy workers in their area and rehabilitate them with alternative employment opportunities.

The 2011 Census estimates that around 1.3 Dalits across India continue to work in this profession. Since the time this video was made, no efforts have been made to compensate the family members of deceased. The Municipal Commissioner has taken no further action on this case, nor on the continued hiring of people to clean sewage lines.

Call to Action: Please call the Municipal Commissioner of the Nashik Municipal Corporation and ask him to ensure that the contractors completely stop the practice of manual sewage cleaning and use machines instead.