In what could be seen as a strong message from the district administration, District Collector Archana Patnaik has said that people who force others to clean human waste will be punished under the law.

In the press release, she said that the state government has implemented a law against manual scavenging according to the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, and the same has been implemented in the state.

“Sanitary workers cleaning human waste with bare hands, cleaning toilets without wearing proper utilities like gloves, and cleaning drainage sumps is a criminal offence under the law,” she said.

She has further added that people who involve in such activities in private or public firms should obtain the necessary permissions from the district administration and has warned that people involving in the act without getting prior permissions will be punished under the section 6 of the Act.