Danger in the sewer: On India’s sewer cleaning deaths

The persistence of manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning highlights the failure to implement the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. This act completely bans the employment of manual scavengers and prohibits the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective gear. However, enforcement remains weak, primarily because the responsibility for implementation falls on Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), which often outsource these tasks to private contractors to evade direct liability. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has repeatedly intervened, notably in the Safai Karamchari Andolan vs Union of India (2014) case, directing the government to completely eradicate the practice and provide a compensation of ₹10 lakh (later increased to ₹30 lakh) to the families of deceased workers. For UPSC, questions can focus on the efficacy of the 2013 Act, the role of local governance in urban sanitation, and the challenges in implementing Supreme Court directives at the grassroots level.

The issue of manual scavenging is deeply intertwined with India's caste system. The burden of this hazardous and stigmatized work falls almost entirely on historically marginalized castes, particularly Dalits. The failure to eradicate manual scavenging is not just an administrative failure but a continuation of caste-based discrimination, violating Article 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and Article 17 (abolition of untouchability) of the Constitution. The editorial points out that merely distributing safety kits, as attempted under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, is insufficient. The focus must shift from 'maximizing administrative assistance' to 'minimizing the situations' that require manual entry into sewers. In the Mains exam, candidates can be asked to analyze the socio-economic factors perpetuating manual scavenging and the necessity of comprehensive rehabilitation over mere technological interventions.

The continued deaths of sanitation workers expose significant gaps in urban governance and the formalization of labor. Municipal bodies frequently bypass the 2013 Act by hiring undocumented daily-wage workers through private contractors, creating a system of denial of liability. The government's claim that manual scavenging has been eliminated often relies on a narrow definition that excludes the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, leading to severe under-reporting. The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis data highlights the persistent mortality rate, contradicting official claims of eradication. Effective governance requires stringent monitoring of private contractors, formalizing the employment of sanitation workers, and ensuring access to comprehensive social security nets. UPSC questions may explore the role of the unorganized sector in urban sanitation and the need for stronger accountability mechanisms for municipal corporations.