MANUAL CLEANING AND SCAVENGING WORK IS BANNED YET EXISTS IN PRACTICE:
Employing a person for manual scavenging is punishable under the law, according to the Convener of the Karmachari Andolan. Those found guilty of employing individuals for such work can face imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of ₹50,000, or both. (Attached: Clipping from The Week magazine.)
Despite the ban, manual cleaning of manholes and scavenging persist in India. THE SUPREME COURT HAS SPECIFICALLY ORDERED A COMPLETE HALT TO THESE PRACTICES IN MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITIES LIKE DELHI, MUMBAI, CHENNAI, KOLKATA, BENGALURU, AND HYDERABAD.
While illegal, the practice continues due to factors such as caste-based discrimination, lack of alternative livelihoods, and lax enforcement by contractors and authorities.
Recent Incident: Tragically, on March 16th in Delhi, two workers drowned while cleaning a sewer. A third, the brother of one of the drowned, inhaled toxic fumes when trying to rescue them, fell in, and also died. Two others drowned first were hospitalized but survived.
This tragic incident occurred in Delhi, our national capital, even as India is making rapid strides in fields like Artificial Intelligence, with Mumbai being hailed as a major AI hub.
Critical Questions We Must Ask:
How many workers die each year while cleaning manholes?
Are these victims still predominantly from marginalized communities?
Why can't robotics fully replace manual scavenging?
Even if many workers are unlettered, shouldn’t we train them directly without waiting for formal education milestones?
Positive Examples: In cities like Chennai and elsewhere, there is already a growing practice of using mechanized tools to clean sewers from outside the manholes. This model must be widely adopted.
The Way Forward: We must urgently advance towards widespread use of robots for sewer and septic cleaning.
THE SUPREME COURT HAS DONE ITS DUTY. IT HAS DIRECTED THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (CEOS) OF THE SIX METROS TO FILE AFFIDAVITS BY FEBRUARY 13, 2025, DETAILING HOW AND WHEN MANUAL SCAVENGING AND HAZARDOUS SEWER CLEANING PRACTICES WERE STOPPED. This follows an earlier order from October 2023 mandating concrete steps toward the eradication of manual scavenging.
Let us hope that incidents like the one reported in Delhi remain stray occurrences — and that the administration acts immediately and effectively to prevent such tragedies.
-Jai hind more
Despite the ban, manual cleaning of manholes and scavenging persist in India. THE SUPREME COURT HAS SPECIFICALLY ORDERED A COMPLETE HALT TO THESE PRACTICES IN MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITIES LIKE DELHI, MUMBAI, CHENNAI, KOLKATA, BENGALURU, AND HYDERABAD.
While illegal, the practice continues due to factors such as caste-based discrimination, lack of alternative livelihoods, and lax enforcement by contractors and authorities.
Recent Incident: Tragically, on March 16th in Delhi, two workers drowned while cleaning a sewer. A third, the brother of one of the drowned, inhaled toxic fumes when trying to rescue them, fell in, and also died. Two others drowned first were hospitalized but survived.
This tragic incident occurred in Delhi, our national capital, even as India is making rapid strides in fields like Artificial Intelligence, with Mumbai being hailed as a major AI hub.
Critical Questions We Must Ask:
How many workers die each year while cleaning manholes?
Are these victims still predominantly from marginalized communities?
Why can't robotics fully replace manual scavenging?
Even if many workers are unlettered, shouldn’t we train them directly without waiting for formal education milestones?
Positive Examples: In cities like Chennai and elsewhere, there is already a growing practice of using mechanized tools to clean sewers from outside the manholes. This model must be widely adopted.
The Way Forward: We must urgently advance towards widespread use of robots for sewer and septic cleaning.
THE SUPREME COURT HAS DONE ITS DUTY. IT HAS DIRECTED THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS (CEOS) OF THE SIX METROS TO FILE AFFIDAVITS BY FEBRUARY 13, 2025, DETAILING HOW AND WHEN MANUAL SCAVENGING AND HAZARDOUS SEWER CLEANING PRACTICES WERE STOPPED. This follows an earlier order from October 2023 mandating concrete steps toward the eradication of manual scavenging.
Let us hope that incidents like the one reported in Delhi remain stray occurrences — and that the administration acts immediately and effectively to prevent such tragedies.
-Jai hind more
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Yes, if machines are deployed to do menial jobs, such as washing machines, and dishwashers, robotics can do manual and hazardous sewer cleaning jobs to ensure dignity of labour. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2009068#:~:text=The%20technology%20called%20Homosep%20Atom,of%20Chennai's%20densely%20populated%20areas. more
May 01
Natural scavengers such as vultures are almost extinct, and but at least the government can mobilise its machinery to deploy sewer cleaning small machines when it could not raise awareness and sensitivity in time to prevent vulture extinction by banning diclofinac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that administered to cows to relieve their pain and through the food chain got transmitted to vultures feeding on cattle carcasses. These vultures eventually die as diclofenac is toxic to vultures and can cause kidney failure and visceral gout. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_vulture_crisis#:~:text=Diclofenac%20is%20a%20common%20anti,India%20beginning%20in%20the%201990s. more
Apr 30
Mr. K.C. Rana, the situation continues on a similar scale even today. Reforming a vast and populous country like ours—especially when several states still lag behind—remains a significant challenge. However, we must acknowledge the meaningful progress we’ve made. Social practices like sati-pratha and the Devadasi system have been completely eradicated, while initiatives such as the two-child norm and efforts to improve literacy, though not fully successful, have shown commendable and encouraging progress. more
Apr 29
Banning some age old practice is something and implementing in toto is another thing. Is child marriage fully stopped, dowry problem solved, illicit relationships gone or production of illicit liquor stopped or illegal drug trade stopped Or child labour disappeared ? Such practices will continue in the coming centuries. more
Apr 28
Yes, it was banned but not executed in true spirit. Besides, special Protective Clothing was also designed along with Safety gears for safety of such persons engaged in such works. Unfortunately. nothing is in regular use despite demonstration was made. This is truly unfortunate. more
Apr 28
