Describing manual scavenging as a matter involving “human dignity,” the Supreme Court today noted that the officials concerned in states were not doing their best to weed out this practice even though a Union minister apologised to the nation on this issue. “If we go by the media reports and they are correct, even your Central minister has apologised for existence of manual scavenging but the officers do not seem to put all their efforts to eliminate this practice. It is very unfortunate,” observed a Bench of Justices Swantater Kumar and Madan B Lokur. The Bench noted that despite its persistent efforts to spur officers into finding out where manual scavenging still existed, Hardwar DM had adduced an incorrect and a dissatisfactory affidavit over existence of scavenging in his district. The Bench gave him one final opportunity to rectify his mistake and asked him to conduct a survey personally.