“The extended deadline to eradicate manual scavenging which had been shifted from December 2007 to March 2009 at no cost should be further extended and the country should become manual-scavenging free,” the NHRC said at a national workshop on manual scavenging and sanitation in New Delhi on Friday.

Expressing happiness that most states have agreed for resurvey of manual scavengers by independent agencies, it said it was reassuring that the states have come out of the “defensive mode” in tackling the problem.

The states should take the resurvey of manual scavengers on a priority basis and there should be a clear demarcation between manual scavengers and sanitation workers, the NHRC said.

It also asked the government not to stop the scholarship given to the children of manual scavengers who were rehabilitated, it said.

Those who are still employed as manual scavengers in any part of the country can approach the NHRC or state commissions with their grievances, it said.