NAMASTE Scheme: Empowering Sanitation Workers and Waste Pickers for a Dignified India

The NAMASTE Scheme—National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem—is a major government initiative launched in July 2023 to transform the lives of sanitation workers and waste pickers across India’s urban areas. It aims to eliminate hazardous manual cleaning, provide formal recognition, ensure social security, and promote safe, mechanized sanitation practices.

Table of Contents

Scheme Outlay & Financials:

The government has allocated ₹349.70 crore for the NAMASTE Scheme, signaling a robust commitment to safer sanitation work and upliftment of marginalized communities. This outlay supports interventions in over 4,800 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) until 2025-26, including capital support, safety equipment, insurance, and entrepreneurial aid.

Tenure & Coverage:

NAMASTE will be implemented for three years (2023–24 to 2025–26), spanning all urban centers in India. It intends to identify, validate, and support both sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) and, from June 2024, waste pickers, bringing comprehensive benefits to a large section of informal workers.

Key Benefits: Social Security, Safety, Livelihood

Formal identification and recognition of SSWs and waste pickers, enabling access to direct government support.
Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and safety devices, drastically improving workplace health and safety.
Health insurance cover for workers and their families under Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY and similar schemes.
Financial assistance and training to promote mechanization, skill upgrading, and entrepreneurship (“sanipreneurs”).
Capital subsidies to help workers venture into self-employment or sanitation-related enterprises.
Educational awareness campaigns for dignity, rights, and safe practices.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs) and Waste Pickers operating within municipal boundaries of cities and towns.
Must be identified and validated by Urban Local Bodies through dedicated surveys and eKYC procedures.
Priority is given to those engaged in hazardous cleaning activities, with special attention to women, SC/ST communities, and other marginalized groups.

Implementation & Mechanisms

NAMASTE is jointly managed by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), with the National Safai Karamcharis Finance Development Corporation (NSKFDC) as the main implementing agency. Through a combination of surveys, community mobilization, mechanization drives, financial incentives, and digital monitoring, the scheme ensures transparent and effective benefit delivery.

Major Achievements

By September 2025, over 88,000 SSWs and 42,000 waste pickers have been formally validated and integrated into the scheme.
Distribution of nearly 84,000 PPE kits and substantial disbursement of safety and entrepreneurial support.
Widespread coverage of health insurance and social security, directly reaching families vulnerable to health and livelihood shocks

Challenges & The Way Forward

Achieving zero fatalities and full mechanization remains an ambitious goal due to persistent informal practices in smaller towns.
Many Urban Local Bodies face constraints in timely identification and support for eligible workers.
Stigma and lack of awareness hinder the full social inclusion of sanitation workers and waste pickers.
Ensuring the sustainability of “sanipreneurs” and effective transition to mechanized sanitation in all regions.

Conclusion

The NAMASTE Scheme epitomizes India’s resolve to build an equitable, dignified, and safe ecosystem for urban sanitation workers and waste pickers. Its success will depend on consistent ground-level execution, sustained budgetary and community focus, and persistent advocacy for workers’ rights and well-being. NAMASTE is not just a policy, but a crucial social movement toward dignity, inclusion, and modern urban living.

Official Portal:

https://socialjustice.gov.in/schemes/37

Other Schemes:

NIPUN Bharat; Government Schemes etc.