MoSJE Launches Waste Picker Enumeration App under NAMASTE Scheme

On World Environment Day 2025, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) reaffirmed its commitment to environmental justice and worker dignity by launching a Nationwide Digital Application—the Waste Picker Enumeration App—in New Delhi. This marks a significant expansion of the NAMASTE scheme to include Waste Pickers in its scope.

Key Highlights:

• New Inclusion: Waste Pickers have now been included under the NAMASTE (National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem) Scheme as of June 2024.
• Target: The scheme aims to enumerate 2.5 lakh individuals, offering them:
  • Formal identity
  • Social protection
  • Skill development
  • Collective empowerment

Significance:

• Recognizes Waste Pickers as critical actors in India’s circular economy.
• Aims to ensure safer working conditions, better access to entitlements, and long-term livelihood security.

About NAMASTE Scheme:

• A Central Sector Scheme jointly implemented by MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• NSKFDC (National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation) is the implementing agency for Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs).
• Goals:
  • Zero fatalities in sanitation work.
  • Elimination of direct human contact with faecal matter.
  • Safety devices for all cleaning operations.
  • Professionalization of sanitation work.
  • Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) to be strengthened.
  • Promotion of Self-Help Groups and entrepreneurship among workers.

Key Components of NAMASTE:

• Profiling of SSWs.
• Health insurance under Ayushman Bharat–PMJAY.
• Occupational safety training.
• Capital subsidy for sanitation equipment.
• Provision of PPE kits and safety devices.
• Awareness campaigns for safety and dignity of sanitation workers.

With the inclusion of Waste Pickers, NAMASTE has evolved into a comprehensive ecosystem of care and empowerment for sanitation workers across both liquid and solid waste management sectors in India.