Nearly 500 Died While Cleaning Sewers Or Septic Tanks Since 2019: Centre

According to a report by NDTV, the Indian government has informed Parliament that nearly 500 individuals have died while cleaning sewers or septic tanks since 2019. Despite these figures, the government maintained that no deaths have been officially attributed to the practice of 'manual scavenging' during that period. This distinction relies on the specific legal definitions within the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, which the government uses to categorize such incidents.

The data, presented by the Centre, highlights the ongoing risks faced by sanitation workers in India, despite decades of legislative efforts to eradicate the practice. Activists and labor rights groups have long argued that the government's narrow definition of manual scavenging—which often excludes deaths occurring in septic tanks or sewers if safety gear or mechanical equipment was theoretically available—masks the true scale of the crisis. By classifying these fatalities as accidents rather than deaths caused by manual scavenging, the state avoids certain legal obligations and compensation mandates associated with the latter.

The issue remains a significant point of contention in Indian domestic policy. While the government continues to promote the mechanization of sewer cleaning to improve safety standards, the persistent death toll suggests that implementation remains inconsistent across various states. The government's response underscores the bureaucratic challenges in addressing hazardous labor conditions, as officials emphasize that they are actively working to transition the workforce toward safer, machine-led maintenance practices.