Common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 63
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Sanitation workers frequently face serious health risks, stigmatization, violence and exploitation. In India, the Parliament adopted an act requiring that sanitation systems be overhauled so as to eliminate the need for manual scavengers and seeking to eradicate stigma, inter alia by arranging for alternative jobs. The Supreme Court of India observed that "manual scavengers are considered as untouchables by other mainstream castes and are thrown into a vortex of severe social and economic exploitation". It held that the continuation of manual scavenging violated human rights and ordered the State to fully implement the new act and take appropriate action in response to any violations.
Legal status
Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation