Alarming rise in Delhi, UP manhole workers' deaths, govt 'unconcerned'

By Sanjeev Kumar*

In a Press Conference held at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, many advocates, journalists, and social activists expressed concern for the alarming number of deaths due to manual scavenging within the last week. These deaths are testimony that manual scavenging is still prevalent in this country even after a decade of the practice being banned.

Today, the deaths due to manual scavenging go unacknowledged by the government authorities who refuse to accept the crisis. Addressing the Press, Indira Unninayar, a senior advocate, said that there is no proper data on the number of manual scavengers and the government hugely suppresses the number of manual scavenging deaths.

Recently, Uttar Pradesh saw eight deaths due to manual scavenging within a short span of ten days. On 2nd May, Shroban Yadav, 57, and his son Sushil Yadav, 30, were killed while testing a sewer line in Lucknow’s Wazirganj area. On 3rd May, two daily wage workers, Kokan Mandal, 40, and Nooni Mandal, 36, were killed while cleaning the septic tank of a private residence in Noida Sector 26.

Soon after on 9th May, 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. In October 2023 the Supreme Court ordered a compensation of 30 lakhs to the families of victims of manual scavenging which has not reached any of the victims so far.

Allegedly, the District Administration promised to provide only ₹4 lakh ex gratia to each deceased in the incident in Chandauli. In India the lives of workers are considered cheap and inexpensive and they can only safeguard their rights through unionization, said Roma, a senior activist from the All India Union of Forest Working People.

In all of the incidents, the workers worked as informal labourers or contractual sanitation workers and were made to clean sewer/septic tanks without any supervision. The sewer/septic tank workers are not provided with any safety equipment and often they have to face the toxic gases with just a handkerchief, said Radhika Bordia, a senior journalist who has been covering these cases for the last 25 years.

Many workers are made to forcibly enter sewer/septic tanks by contracting agencies or private residents. In one such incident on 12th May, a housekeeping staff member, Hare Krishan Prasad, was forced to enter the sewer in D Mall, Rohini, Delhi, where he was killed due to inhalation of toxic gases.

There is no proper data on number of manual scavengers. The government hugely suppresses the number of manual scavenging deaths

Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, believes that the municipal authorities should be held responsible for the deaths of these workers and held accountable for these offenses which are as serious as murder charges. The local governance authorities have failed to fulfill the responsibility of supervising the cleaning in their jurisdiction and thus should be held liable for these deaths.

These deaths of sewer/septic tank workers are not new in this country but these cases go unacknowledged by the government authorities and are suppressed by the police. The speakers also pointed out that the poor condition of sewer and sanitation workers, who largely belong to marginalized caste groups, also shows the persistence of caste based exploitation in India.

Manual scavenging is also a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to live with dignity. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 doubly reinforces this right by making manual scavenging an outlaw practice. However, even after a decade of its implementation, this caste-based practice continues to exist within the nation and take the lives of uncountable people.

---

*Secretary, Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM); Convener, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

Comments

King Corona and his descendents: How long will the Dynasty last?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* “Corona ” is in the media once again, precipitating a déjà-vu feeling and some amount of panic among the people. Among viruses and microorganisms King Corona and its descendents enjoy Royalty Status. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This classic quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is well known. But does it hold well in current times? The events during the past five years challenge the Bard's view.

India’s 2021 excess deaths: was it the virus — or the containment frenzy?

By Bhaskaran Raman* Tyagu (name changed), a vegetable vendor recalls of his brother’s death in 2021. The victim had a normal fever, but was forcibly taken away to the hospital saying that it was Covid. He had been coerced into taking the Covid-19 “vaccines” by that time. After 10 days in hospital, he died. There was no proper information during his hospital stay, and no one was allowed to visit, saying that visitors could also get Covid.

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

Crying air, water, and earth: A call to conserve our dying natural resources

By Dr. Gurinder Kaur* Air, water, and earth—these natural resources are essential for the survival of all living beings, including humans, animals, and plants. Life in any form is impossible without them. These are precious gifts of nature to humankind. However, in the pursuit of economic growth, modern humans have severely polluted these valuable resources in an attempt to satisfy their greed.

21-day security operation targets Maoist presence, prompts questions on civil impact

By Harsh Thakor* Union Home Minister Amit Shah has described a recent counter-insurgency operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border as a significant achievement for Indian security forces in their efforts against Maoist groups. The three-week-long operation in the Karreguttalu Hills reportedly resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals identified as members of Maoist formations.

Civil society group voices concern over government response to Pahalgam attack

By A Representative Citizens for Democracy (CFD), a civil society group, has expressed serious concern over the government's response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. While unequivocally condemning the violence, CFD raised alarm about what it sees as an excessive and politically motivated reaction by the authorities. CFD acknowledged the widespread condemnation of the attack from all sections of society, including strong protests led by local Kashmiri Muslims. However, it criticized the government for failing to provide a transparent account of the security lapses that allowed the attack to occur. It also noted the absence of a clear plan for accountability or a high-level inquiry into the incident. The group questioned the initiation of Operation Sindoor, describing it as a move driven more by domestic political considerations than strategic necessity. CFD warned that such military actions risk long-term instability and divert attention from peaceful an...

Ninety years of the socialist movement in India: What's the path head

By Dr. Sunilam* We are all aware of what the leaders active in the socialist movement have accomplished over the past 90 years. We are also well-acquainted with the sacrifices made by leaders and workers during the freedom struggle and the socialist movement. For the past 45 years, since I became interested in joining the socialist movement as an activist, I have been keen on understanding and analyzing its history. Inspired by 101-year-old freedom fighter Dr. G.G. Parikh and in collaboration with comrades from the Socialist Samagam, I have actively participated in organizing events to mark the 82nd, 85th, and now the 90th anniversaries of the socialist movement.

Search This Blog