New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar will honour sanitation workers and commemorate the 3rd National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Day at a grand event in Kolkata on Tuesday, an official said.

The main event, along with the Divya Kala Mela, will be held at Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata, West Bengal, while parallel programmes will take place across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) nationwide, said the official in a statement on Monday.

Apart from Union Minister Virendra Kumar, the Kolkata event is likely to be attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari. Ministers, Members of Parliament, MLAs, senior officials from the Centre and the state, district administration representatives, the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) and other dignitaries are also expected to participate, it said.

On NAMASTE Day, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will organise activities focused on the welfare of sanitation workers, including occupational safety training, health check-up camps, facilitation of government entitlements, demonstrations of mechanised sanitation equipment and safety gear, and recognition of sanitation workers for their contribution.

NAMASTE Day is dedicated to honouring sanitation workers — including sewer and septic tank workers, waste pickers and former manual scavengers — for their vital role in safeguarding public health and environmental sanitation, said the statement.

The observance reinforces the government’s commitment to improving their safety, dignity, and livelihoods through mechanised sanitation, skill development, protective equipment, and sustainable employment opportunities, it said.

The ministry said the observance reflects the government’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of historically marginalised communities while promoting a safe, inclusive and dignified sanitation ecosystem across the country.

The day reinforces the commitment to ensuring their safety, dignity and well-being by promoting mechanised sanitation, eliminating hazardous cleaning practices, providing access to protective equipment, skill development and sustainable livelihood opportunities, said the statement.

NAMASTE Day also serves as an occasion to raise public awareness of sanitation workers’ rights and welfare, foster respect for their contributions, and reaffirm the nation’s resolve to create a safe, inclusive, and dignified sanitation ecosystem for all.

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the NAMASTE Scheme in 2023-24 to ensure the dignity, safety, and social security of sanitation workers while strengthening their social and economic well-being.

The intended outcome of the NAMASTE scheme is to achieve zero fatalities in sanitation work; eliminate direct contact between sanitation workers and human faecal matter; and ensure that all cleaning operations are carried out using safety devices.

The scheme also aims for all sanitation work to be performed by skilled workers, and its objectives include strengthening and capacitating Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) to ensure the safe delivery of mechanised sanitation services, and empowering sanitation workers through the formation of Self-Help Groups and entrepreneurship.

–IANS

rch/dan