National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE)

Context

Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

About NAMASTE scheme

• The government has developed the NAMASTE scheme—to clean septic tanks and sewers.
• The NAMASTE project is a joint project of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• The scheme will replace the Self-Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), which was started in

Features 

• Under the scheme, capital subsidies of up to ?5 lakh on sanitation machinery costing up to ?15 lakh will be provided so that workers will be able to own sanitation machines themselves.
• Interest subsidies on loans will also be provided where interest rates will be capped between 4-6% for the beneficiaries with the government taking care of the rest of the interest.
• In addition, the scheme also provides for training the workers in the use of these machines, during which time a stipend of up to ?3,000 per month will be provided. 
• The scheme will also provide for sanitation workers to train for and go into any of the approved lists of alternative occupations in sectors like agriculture, services, electronics assembling, handicrafts and so on

Objectives of the scheme

• It aims to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices. 
• Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India.
• All sanitation work to be performed by skilled workers.
• No sanitation workers should come in direct contact with human faecal matter.
• Sanitation workers are to be collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
• All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods.
• Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and ULB levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work.
• Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers.