THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEBRUARY 17, 2026
The Odisha Government has intensified its efforts to strengthen the
livelihood security, occupational safety and social dignity of sanitation
workers and waste pickers through the integrated implementation of the National
Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) in convergence with the
State’s flagship GARIMA initiative.
Launched in July 2023 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of
India, NAMASTE aims to eliminate hazardous sanitation practices and promote
safe, mechanised and dignified sanitation work nationwide. In Odisha, the
scheme is being strategically aligned with GARIMA, which recognises sanitation
workers and waste pickers as essential service providers and ensures their
access to social protection measures and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The primary objective of NAMASTE is to formalise and rehabilitate
individuals engaged in the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks while
ensuring zero fatalities in sanitation operations. The programme prioritises
the complete elimination of direct human contact with waste, mandatory
deployment of safety equipment, structured skill development, and the
strengthening of Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) for safe and
professional service delivery. It also promotes the formation of Self-Help
Groups and supports entrepreneurship avenues to enable long-term economic
empowerment of sanitation workers.
Key components of the initiative include comprehensive profiling of Sewer
and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs), occupational health and safety training,
distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, health insurance
coverage under Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY, provision of upfront capital subsidies
for sanitation vehicles and mechanised equipment, and targeted awareness
campaigns to reinforce safety standards and dignity in sanitation services.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development
Department, Usha Padhee, said that the convergence of NAMASTE with GARIMA
reflects the State Government’s sustained commitment to dignity of labour,
social security and long-term livelihood stability for sanitation workers and
waste pickers, who constitute the backbone of urban cleanliness and public
health systems. She further informed that an extensive enrolment drive is
currently underway across Urban Local Bodies through the Housing and Urban
Development Department, Government of Odisha.
The inclusion of waste pickers engaged in solid waste management is
designed to ensure safe, dignified and sustainable livelihoods through
structured enumeration exercises, occupational safety training, skill
upgradation programmes, need-based PPE distribution, health insurance coverage,
and financial assistance for waste collection vehicles and self-employment
initiatives.
Several provisions of the erstwhile Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), including skill development support, health insurance and capital subsidy components, have now been subsumed under NAMASTE to create a unified and more robust rehabilitation framework.
Through the combined implementation of NAMASTE and GARIMA, Odisha continues to strengthen its commitment to mechanised sanitation, social justice and inclusive urban governance, placing dignity, safety and economic empowerment at the core of sanitation sector reforms.
