National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have started a joint initiative scheme called the National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) aims to work in Urban India for the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. This scheme will achieve the goal by creating an enabling ecosystem that recognizes Sanitation workers as one of the key contributors to the maintenance and operations of sanitation infrastructure.

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National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE): Objectives

1. To ensure zero fatalities in sanitation work in India.
2. To ensure that skilled workers should perform all sanitation works.
3. To ensure that no sanitation workers should come in direct contact with human faecal matters.
4. To provide all sewer and septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) access to alternative livelihoods.
5. To make the Sanitation workers collectivized into Self Help Groups (SHGs) to empower them to run Sanitation enterprises.
6. To strengthen, supervisory, and monitoring systems at National, state, and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work.
7. To increase awareness amongst sanitation services seekers to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers.

National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE): Significance

1. NAMASTE scheme will reduce the vulnerabilities of Sanitation workers by providing access to alternative livelihoods support and entitlements.
2. The scheme will enable sanitation workers to access self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities and break the intergenerationally.
3. National Action for Mechanism Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) will bring out a behavioral change amongst the citizens towards the sanitation workers and enhance the demand for safe sanitation services.