Sewer Deaths Expose National Crisis: Requiring National Action
By Raju Kumar
Despite strict laws banning manual scavenging, sanitation workers across India continue to lose their lives while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. The situation is particularly alarming in Madhya Pradesh, where 16 such deaths have been recorded between 2021 and 2024. According to the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), a national movement advocating for sanitation workers’ rights, these deaths are not isolated incidents but part of a larger, systemic failure across the country. The organization has condemned these fatalities and is demanding immediate government intervention to prevent further loss of life and hold those responsible accountable.
SKA has strongly criticized the government’s inaction, emphasizing that despite being illegal, manual scavenging remains widespread. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and the 2014 Supreme Court ruling clearly criminalize this practice. Yet, sanitation workers—most of whom belong to Dalit and marginalized communities—are still being forced to enter toxic, unsafe sewers without protective gear.
Pawan Valmiki, SKA’s Madhya Pradesh state coordinator, expressed outrage over the ongoing violations. “It is disgraceful that dry latrines still exist in many districts, where Dalit women are forced into manual scavenging despite the law prohibiting it. Do the lives of sanitation workers have no value?” he questioned.
SKA’s records show that at least 35 sanitation workers have died nationwide in similar circumstances. However, justice remains elusive. “In cases of sewer deaths, there are no arrests, and the families of the deceased are often denied the ₹30 lakh compensation mandated by law. This systemic neglect shows that the lives of Dalits and other marginalized workers mean little to the authorities,” Valmiki added.
The issue is not limited to Madhya Pradesh. Similar violations have been reported in Maharashtra and other states, highlighting the government’s failure to enforce existing laws.
For over 30 years, SKA has been fighting to end manual scavenging and dismantle the caste-based oppression that forces sanitation workers into hazardous, inhumane conditions. “The government’s indifference continues to trap these workers in a cycle of caste-based discrimination and untouchability,” the organization stated.
As manual scavenging deaths persist, activists and civil society groups are demanding stronger enforcement of existing laws, strict punishment for offenders, and comprehensive rehabilitation programs for affected workers. The time for government silence is over—real action is needed to put an end to this deadly practice once and for all. (IPA Service)
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