Thread by @thenewsminute

TNM reporters went on the ground in five south Indian cities to explore whether the adoption of technology has changed the status of manual scavengers. Here’s what we found 🧵

Nizamabad has bought just two jetting machines, writes @Bala__G.
Since 2013, the family of only one manual scavenging worker who died received compensation - and even that was given 12 years after the victim’s death.
thenewsminute.com/article/what-s…

In Kerala, four years ago, CM Pinarayi Vijayan officially inaugurated Bandicoot, a sewer-cleaning robot to clean manholes and sewage lines and phase out manual scavenging. Kozhikode is yet to invest in the technology.

A majority of Kozhikode's ‘tank workers’ are still unaware that the work they are doing is prohibited by law, writes @AzeefaFathima.
thenewsminute.com/article/invisi…

Though Coimbatore Corp has been greatly avoiding the death of its workers – by employing jetting machines – workers often come in contact with drainage water as they refuse to wear gloves. They complain that the gloves are substandard. @Bala__G
thenewsminute.com/article/coimba…

Six persons died between 2017 and 2019 in the district while doing manual scavenging. However, Coimbatore Municipal Corporation has not identified a single manual scavenger and provided them any assistance. @Bala__G
thenewsminute.com/article/coimba…

In Visakhapatnam, it is mostly the Rellis, an SC community, who are forced into manual scavenging. Somu Shekar, who was working as a loan recovery agent till #COVID19 pandemic, has taken up scavenging work to sustain his family, writes @Bala__G.
thenewsminute.com/article/visakh…

The introduction of jetting & sucking machines in Mangaluru has helped limit the instances where manual interventions are necessary. But, "there are situations when we have to manually clear the drains,” says one of the workers.
@prajwalmanipal
thenewsminute.com/article/mangal…

This research was supported by a grant from the Thakur Family Foundation.