NAMASTE Scheme

About NAMASTE Scheme:

• The National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) ensures the safety, dignity and social security of sanitation workers while accelerating the transition towards mechanised sanitation across the country.
• It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It aims to eliminate hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks by promoting mechanised cleaning practices, skill development and comprehensive welfare measures for sanitation workers.
• Implementing agency: It is implemented by the National Safai Karmacharis Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE)
• Duration: It would be implemented for three years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26.
• The scheme targets the following objectives:
  • Zero fatalities in sanitation work,
  • Eliminates direct contact with human faecal matter,
  • Ensures all cleaning is done with safety devices by skilled workers,
  • Strengthens Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), and empowers workers through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and entrepreneurship.