Prohibition of the practice of employing persons for carrying

night soil as head-load.- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law, custom, usage, agreement or practice to the contrary, and save as provided in sub-section (3), no person shall employ or allow himself to be employed for wages or salary for carrying night-soil as head-load or by the manual handling thereof.

1[(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees and with further fine which may extend to fifty rupees for every day on which such offence is continued, after the date of the first conviction and if any person is convicted for the fifth time of an offence for the contravention of the provisions of sub-section (1) he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.]

1. (3) Nothing in this Act shall apply to any person who employs or allows himself to be employed for carrying night-soil as head-load or by the manual handling thereof in any hospital, clinic, nursing home or other similar institution or as a member of any organisation engaged in social service or to any person who himself carries or collects night-soil for the preparation, use or manufacture of manure.

¹ Substituted by Act 55 of 2013 w.e.f.20.8.2013.