Elimination of Manual Scavenging Leads to Zero Scavenger Deaths - Indian Government Announces in Parliament
Manual scavenging, a practice banned in India since 1993, continues to persist despite legal prohibitions. Thousands of manual scavengers, predominantly from the Dalit community, are still engaged in this hazardous work due to socio-economic and caste-based factors.
Occurrence and Fatalities
In 2025 alone, at least 72 deaths directly linked to manual scavenging have been recorded, with many more unreported cases existing across various states including Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Deaths often occur in sewer cleaning, where workers face fatal hazards like toxic gases; however, official statistics tend to exclude these deaths due to narrow legal definitions.
Caste Profile
Manual scavenging is overwhelmingly practiced by the Dalit community, which historically faced caste-based stigmatization and exclusion from dignified work. These workers typically belong to marginalized “safai karamcharis” communities, with systemic social discrimination reinforcing their engagement in this degrading occupation.
Government Steps for Rehabilitation and Mechanisation
The government has enacted the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, mandating the elimination of manual scavenging and provision of rehabilitation to those engaged. The National Action for Mechanised Sanitary Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme aims to mechanise sanitation work to eradicate manual scavenging and provide alternate livelihood options.
However, activists and experts argue that these efforts are insufficient without fresh data, stronger enforcement, and socio-economic reforms addressing caste-based discrimination. For instance, Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, stated that the government expects sanitation workers to take out loans to buy sewage cleaning machines, which keeps them locked into the same job.
Data Collection and Underreporting
In the absence of a central registration system, it falls on organizations like Wilson's to list and record sewer and septic tank deaths. From 1993 to June 2025, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis recorded 1313 sewer/septic tank deaths, a number that Wilson believes is severely underreported. Absent an official survey, deaths in cities like Delhi do not feature in the government's data.
Government Response
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment stated in Parliament that no report of manual scavenging has been received from States/UTs. However, a mobile application and portal have been developed to capture the data of Manual Scavengers and insanitary latrines in urban and rural areas, if any.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, bans the practice but allows for manual cleaning in emergencies with appropriate protective equipment and safety protocols. The government official highlighted that sewer systems sometimes become partially functional before they are fully constructed, leading to a high risk of fatality for workers.
Future Steps
Despite these challenges, activists and experts continue to call for fresh nation-wide enumeration, caste-sensitive rehabilitation packages, and more robust implementation and accountability from the government. The Supreme Court has directed strict enforcement of the 2013 Act and rehabilitation efforts, reinforcing legal obligations of the Union and State governments.
In summary, while laws and schemes exist to eradicate manual scavenging and rehabilitate affected workers, the practice persists in many parts of India, with ongoing fatalities and systemic underreporting. Government interventions involve mechanisation and rehabilitation programs, but activists argue these are insufficient without fresh data, stronger enforcement, and socio-economic reforms addressing caste-based discrimination.
- Despite the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, being enacted, the practice continues, resulting in at least 72 deaths in 2025.
- The National Action for Mechanised Sanitary Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme aims to mechanise sanitation work, providing alternate livelihood options, but lacks fresh data, stronger enforcement, and socio-economic reforms.
- Policy-and-legislation, such as the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, have been implemented, but the government's response to cases of manual scavenging has been questioned, with no reports received from States/UTs.
- General-news outlets have reported on the underreporting of deaths related to manual scavenging, with many deaths going unrecorded in states like Delhi and across the country. Health-and-wellness, both physical and mental, continue to be compromised for manual scavengers due to the hazardous nature of their work and persistent systemic discrimination.
