Question 4
Est. 2 min
Marks:+2.000.00
Passage
Given below is a paragraph that argues against manual scavenging. Read the paragraph and answer the given subquestions. Manual scavenging refers to the act of cleaning untreated human waste from sewers and latrines without any protective equipment. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 not only places a legal ban on manual scavenging, but also identifies the measures to be taken to rehabilitate manual scavengers and warrants a monthly pension to the legal heirs of manual scavengers who died on the job. Gudla Mangamma and her husband Gudla Kotaiah migrated to Hyderabad from Mahbubnagar hoping to give their daughter a good education. When they could not find work in the city, Kotaiah took to cleaning the sewers. Manual scavenging is closely associated with the caste system in India. Kotaiah, who came from a family of washermen, took to manual scavenging when he could not make a living out of his traditional occupation. Although he tried finding work at construction sites, the sites were always far from home and the travel costs left him with very little. Kotaiah died in a manhole in Sultan Bazaar. He was trying to save his friend who had collapsed in the manhole. Neither of them had on any protective gear. Mangamma not only did not know that manual scavenging was illegal, but she was also unaware of any provision for financial compensation. The Telugu word for a manual scavenger is a derogatory slur. Mangamma and her children were ostracised by their relatives after Kotaiah's death while cleaning the drains. While the lack of equipment and protection contributes to the physical hazards of manual scavenging, the stench of stigma surrounding it contributes to its social hazard. The Manual Scavenging Act is thus in bad need of proper enforcement. If the rehabilitation measures prescribed by the 2013 Act, which include a scholarship allowance for the children of manual scavengers, the allotment of a residential plot, and training in an alternate livelihood skill with a monthly stipend, were implemented in the case of Kotaiah, his death may well have been prevented.
Question
'Manual scavenging refers to the act of cleaning untreated human waste from sewers and latrines without any protective equipment.' This line is important because— i. It states the case and sets the tone of the paragraph. ii. It shows that one can argue in favour of manual scavenging. iii. It indicates that Kotaiah did not have any protective equipment.
Comprehension
Medium Difficulty
16 July 2023