Union Minister says no report of manual scavenging in last 5 years

On July 24, in Rajya Sabha while answering the unstarred questions raised by TMC MP Saket Gokhale on total number of incidents of manual scavenging in the country that have been identified/brought to the notice of the Ministry in the last five years (year wise) —and manual scavenging cases reported to the Ministry from 2020 through ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’ Mobile App—-the minister of states for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale answered that ‘there is no report of practice of manual scavenging in the country in the last five years’ and of the total 6,256 cases that were uploaded on mobile App from 114 district, all cases were verified and none of the cases were found to be credible!!!

The union minister thus turned a Nelson’s eye over the increasing deaths of sanitation workers reported due to hazardous and manual cleaning of safety tanks, sewer etc. The union’s attempt to conceal the data in relation to manual scavenging deaths, for escaping from responsibility to rehabilitate the dependents of the deceased workers.

Bezwada Wilson, National Convenor of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKM) has thereafter issued a press release on July 24, and registered his disappointment with both the union budget and the statement given by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Athawale. Wilson said that the Minister had turned a blind eye about manual scavenging.

Wilson through this press release also said that “the Union Budget for the year 2024-025, placed by the finance minister in Parliament on Tuesday, has completely deceived Safai Karamchari community. There is no mention of persons engaged in manual scavenging, in entire Budget. Even the scheme meant for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers (SRMS) has been outrageously scrapped. This disappointment budget has once again demonstrated the clear apathy of union government towards Safai Karmacharis, especially the manual scavengers”.

On July 25, Safai Karmachari Andolan issued another press release that said that 43 deaths in sewers & septic tanks in last 6 months but government and budget still silent on it. SKM further added that “Many reports have emerged highlighting the tragic deaths of manual scavengers who continue to risk their lives while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Despite numerous calls for reform and the implementation of laws aimed at eradicating this hazardous practice, the government’s negligence remains glaringly apparent. There is little evidence of substantive action taken to prevent such future occurrences. Furthermore, government has failed to regulate local authorities, which are continuously failing to provide necessary safety equipment or training for those involved in such cleaning for emergencies. The absence of robust policies reflects a broader societal indifference towards issues affecting marginalized communities in India.”

It is important to hold the government accountable for its failure to protect lives of these Dalit sanitation workers. We demand from the government to recognize these deaths and ask authorities not to tamper with any data or fact related tothese deaths. SKM further added.

Manual Scavenging recent deaths

8 workers died within 10 days in Uttar Pradesh:

Recently in May, Uttar Pradesh witnessed 8 deaths within a short period 10 days due to manual scavenging. On May 2, Shroban Yadav, 57, and his son Sushil Yadav, 30, were died while testing a sewer line in Lucknow’s Wazir Ganj area without safety equipment gears. On May 3, two daily wage workers, Kokan Mandal, 40, and Nooni Mandal, 36, were died while cleaning the septic tank of a private residence in Noida Sector 26. On May 9, four people died from inhaling toxic gases while cleaning the septic tank of a house in Mughalsarai, Chandauli. Three of the victims, Vinod Rawat, 35 Kundan, 42 and Loha, 23, were informal sanitation workers while the fourth victim was the son of the house owner who died while trying to save the workers.

A senior advocate of the Supreme Court and founder of Human Rights Law Network Colin Gonsalves remarked, “It is horrifying that workers are forced to enter sewer line without any  protocol, machines or oxygen gears to clean sewer line.

In 2023, Centre said 400 died from manual scavenging

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale in 2023 had shared the information in a written reply to a question asked by TMC MP Aparupa Poddar regarding manual scavenging in India that 400 people died while cleaning septic tanks and sewers in India between 2018 and 2023.

According to the data, of the 49 cases of deaths in 2023, maximum of 10 were reported from Rajasthan, followed by Gujarat (9), Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu (7 each), West Bengal (3), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana (2 each) and Punjab and Jharkhand.

However, the Maharashtra Govt has informed the Bombay High Court that a total of 81 people has so far died due to manual scavenging in the state.

In year 2023 in Gujrat, from March 22 to April 26, 2023, as many as eight people have died while cleaning sewers in various parts of the Gujarat, raising concerns about the continuing deaths of manual scavengers despite the fact that the practice has been declared illegal across the country.  In Rajkot, two died on March 22, in Dahej three died on April 3, later two died in Dholka on April 23 and one more death was reported from Tharad in north Gujarat on April 26, The Hindu reported.

Despite the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which outlaws and bans the practice of manually removing human excreta from sewer lines or septic tanks, manual scavenging persists in various parts of the country.

In 2023, the Union government acknowledged that about 1,035 individuals have lost their lives while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across India since 1993. Similarly, according to Sabrang India, it was noted that out of the 616 cases registered under the Manual Scavenging Act against contractors for neglecting to provide safety gear to sanitation workers, only one has resulted in a conviction. This is despite the fact that the government had stated it would aim to abolish manual scavenging by 2021. For a detailed look at the law that governs and bans Manual Scavenging in India, tune into 3 article series on the law by Citizens for Justice and Peace

The Answer of the Union Government in Parliament can be read here:

Related:

8 sanitation workers die in UP in last 10 days due to hazardous cleaning, activists calls for FIR 

Manual Scavenging: Eradicate the practice, ensure effective rehabilitation, scholarship, compensation, uphold dignity and liberty says SC

Manual Scavenging continues unabated, Indian Govts turns a deaf ear to acknowledge this systemic, extreme violence