<p>A total of 288 people have died in the country while cleaning sewers or septic tanks during the last three years, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said on Monday.</p>.<p>Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said a national survey of manual scavengers was carried out during 2018-19 in 194 districts of 18 states to identify all those manual scavengers who were cleaning the insanitary latrines, which have since been converted into sanitary latrines under the Swachh Bharat Mission.</p>.<p>"As per reports received from states, 288 persons have died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks during the last three years up to August 31, 2020," he said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.</p>.<p>According to the data provided by Athawale, 51,835 manual scavengers have been identified in the survey, out of which 24,932 were identified in Uttar Pradesh alone.</p>
<p>A total of 288 people have died in the country while cleaning sewers or septic tanks during the last three years, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said on Monday.</p>.<p>Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said a national survey of manual scavengers was carried out during 2018-19 in 194 districts of 18 states to identify all those manual scavengers who were cleaning the insanitary latrines, which have since been converted into sanitary latrines under the Swachh Bharat Mission.</p>.<p>"As per reports received from states, 288 persons have died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks during the last three years up to August 31, 2020," he said in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.</p>.<p>According to the data provided by Athawale, 51,835 manual scavengers have been identified in the survey, out of which 24,932 were identified in Uttar Pradesh alone.</p>