A survey has found that there are no manual scavengers working in Kerala. The survey, conducted based on a Supreme Court ruling, confirmed the absence of manual scavengers (those who manually clean waste) in the state. 

Manual scavengers are defined as individuals who clean human waste by hand or engage in similar activities. The practice was banned by law in 2013, along with a resettlement program for affected workers. Despite the ban, reports of manual scavenging still persist in some parts of the country, which prompted the court to order this survey.

The descendants of individuals who came from other states years ago to work as manual scavengers are still present in many areas, although many of them are not involved in manual scavenging. Some still work in cleaning sewage systems and manholes.

The National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation is leading efforts to eradicate manual scavenging in the country, while the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) is overseeing the initiative.