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National Action for Mechanised Sanitation
Ecosystem (NAMASTE)
Components of NAMASTE Scheme
- Profiling of Sewer Entry Professionals/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs).
- Health Insurance coverage of SSWs under PM-JAY.
- Training of SSWs, Sewer Entry Professionals and Duty Supervisors.
- Capital Subsidy on Loans to SSWs for procurement of Sanitation Related Vehicles/Equipment’s through Swachhta Udyami Yojana.
- Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for SSWs.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE) has formulated a scheme “National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem” (NAMASTE). The process of extending the Scheme to all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country has been initiated. Main features of the Scheme to be implemented in all ULBs are:
- Identification: NAMASTE envisages identifying the Sewer/Septic Tank Workers (SSWs).
- Occupational Training and distribution of PPE Kits to SSWs.
- Assistance for Safety Devices to Sanitation Response Units (SRUs).
- Extending Health Insurance Scheme Benefits to identified SSWs and their families under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
- Livelihood Assistance: The Action Plan will promote mechanization and enterprise development by providing funding support and subsidy (capital +interest) to the sanitation workers, to procure sanitation related equipment.
- IEC Campaign: Massive campaigns would be undertaken jointly by the ULBs & NSKFDC to spread awareness about the interventions of NAMASTE.
NAMASTE SCHEME
Profiling of Sewer Entry Professionals/Septic Tank Workers
The ULBs and parastatal agencies will list the SSWs employed by them. The listed SSWs will be verified during profiling camps organized by ULBs with additional information including the details of their dependents and access to various entitlements. Complete profile of SSWs would be available on NAMASTE portal.
Extending Health Insurance Scheme Benefits
To provide safety nets to workers and their families in case they fall sick or meet with an accident, SSWs and their family members, in addition to identified manual scavengers and their family members, will be covered by National Health Authority, under the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (AB-PM-JAY).
Occupational Training
The cost of such training would not be met out of NAMASTE funds but the training programmes would be conducted by MSDE under PMKVY.4.0. Trainees covered under occupational training programme of MDSE under NAMASTE would be provided the stipend @ Rs. 500/- per candidate, directly by NSKFDC, on Aadhar authenticated payment system, through DBT on PFMS.
Provision of PPE for SSWs
NAMASTE aims at ensuring occupational safety of SSWs by providing them with PPE kit comprising of gloves, body suits, safety shoes, mask, safety goggles etc. as per specification of MoHUA. The access to PPE Kit throughout the year will save them from respiratory and skin diseases and would have a direct effect on their well being. The PPE kits as per specifications of MoHUA would be procured through GeM as per the procurement procedure of Govt. of India. Once the data of SSWs is made available by ULBs/MoHUA and after completion of occupational training, the process of providing assistance to them will be started. PPE Kits for surface cleaning sanitation workers, undertaking mechanised cleaning operations would be provided by MoSJE through ULBs on reimbursement basis @ Rs. 4000/- per beneficiary.
Provision of Safety Devices to ULBs
The scheme would provide Safety Devices like Air compressor for blower, Air purified gas mask, breath mask, breathing apparatus, emergency medical oxygen kit, gas motor, full body wader suit, fishing wader suit attached with boots, head lamp, helmet, safety belt, safety body clothing, safety body harness, safety goggles, Tripod with safety belt etc. upto the cost of Rs. 2,00,000/-to ERSU on reimbursement basis (after appointment of RSA, having functional helpline number, completion of profiling of SSWs and their occupational training) for stopping deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
Workshops on Hazardous Cleaning of Sewers and Septic Tanks
Workshops are organized in municipalities on prevention of hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. During these workshops, the officers, sanitation engineers/inspectors, contractors and workers are made aware about the provisions of the “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013” and the Rules framed there under, particularly about the safety gears and safety precautions to be adhered to for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks
Mechanised Cleaning Equipment/Machines
The identified manual scavengers, sanitation workers and their dependents are eligible for capital subsidy for sanitation related projects SSWs would, therefore, be eligible for Credit linked up-front capital subsidy in a scaled manner.
| Project cost uptoRs. 5.00 lakh | 50% of the project cost |
| Project cost above Rs. 5.00 lakh and uptoRs. 15.00 lakh | Rs. 2.50 lakh + 25% of the remaining project cost above Rs. 5.00 lakh |
| For Group projects costing
uptoRs. 50.00 lakh with each beneficiary project share maximum uptoRs. 10.00 lakh. |
Same as above with maximum per
member capital subsidy of Rs. 3.75 lakh and maximum group project subsidy of Rs. 18.75 lakh. |
