Shillong, August 3: The Deputy Commissioner of South West Garo Hills issued a notification on Tuesday, enforcing a strict ban on the practice of engaging manual scavenging during the construction or cleaning of latrines.

The order released on Tuesday has mandates that no person, local authority, or agency shall engage or employ anyone, either directly or indirectly, for hazardous cleaning of sewers or septic tanks.

This notification aligns with “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013,” which prohibits the construction of insanitary latrines and the employment of manual scavengers. The Act requires that any person currently employed in such work be immediately released from their obligations, whether expressed or implied.

Violations of this Act are subject to severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to two years and a fine of up to ₹2,00,000 for the first offense. Repeat offenders face harsher consequences, with potential imprisonment of up to five years and fines reaching ₹5,00,000, added the notification.

The notification further urges citizens to report any instances of manual scavenging to the nearest police station for appropriate action and registration of cases.

Also Read: Meghalaya Govt felicitates Nongjri Presbyterian School team for winning U-15 Boys’ Subroto Cup 2024

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub