Govt orders new survey of dry latrines; to amend existing laws After 61 years of India becoming a Republic, the country has realised that more people than it so far thought could be engaged in the abhorrent practice of manual scavenging. Following this realisation, the government on Wednesday ordered a fresh survey of manual scavengers and dry latrines across the country, besides resolving to amend existing laws to root out the menace by 2012. It will also determine their gender breakup, considering women are more affected. The move comes 18 years after India prohibited manual scavenging and construction of dry toilets and the government spent Rs 3,000 crore to rehabilitate those affected. In March 2010, the government had advanced for the fifth time the last date for abolition of manual scavenging. By March 2010, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, the nodal ministry for implementation of the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 (which outlaws scavenging), had spent Rs 2,368 crore under the Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme to convert 53 lakh dry latrines in 23 states and 911 towns across the country into flush toilets. Under the Act, which prescribes a punishment up to one year and a fine of Rs 2,000 for anyone employing a scavenger, no conviction has happened in 18 years -- a matter the National Advisory Council (NAC) noted with concern in its December 23, 2010 meeting, while adopting a resolution to urge the Centre to survey the remaining dry toilets and scavengers, amend existing law and make them stringent by revising the definition of manual scavenging and formulating a 100 per cent Centrally-funded scheme to rehabilitate the affected. Ministry of Social Justice Joint Secretary Sanjeev Kumar told The Tribune that the Centre would finish the survey exercise by the end of the 11th Plan, as required by the NAC. So far, under the Social Justice Ministry