Manual Scavenging

There is some good news for human scavengers. In a first for the region, smart robots will soon begin cleaning clogged sewers and the project will begin from Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj

As many as 400 people have died while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks since 2017, the government said on Tuesday. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said no death has been reported due to engaging in manual scavenging. "However, 233 persons have died due to accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks during the last three years and current year," he said in a written response. He gave data of number of such deaths recorded since 2017. According to the data, 48 such deaths were recorded in 2022, 49 in 2021, 19 in 2020, 117 in 2019, 67 in 2018 and 100 in 2017.

The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of a report that four persons died after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning the sewer tank in Haryana's Faridabad district

The Aam Aadmi Party leader and Uttam Nagar MLA had recently shared four pictures of drain and sewage cleaning as part of monsoon preparedness on Twitter.

Named HomoSEP, ten units are planned to be deployed across Tamil Nadu and the researchers are in touch with sanitation workers to identify the locations, officials said.

He said 325 people have died due to accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks during the last five years

The Bombay High Court on Friday said the Maharashtra government has the responsibility and liability to ensure that the shameful practice of manual scavenging is not carried out anywhere in the state.

As many as 66,692 manual scavengers, including 37,379 in Uttar Pradesh, have been identified across the country

Police said during an enquiry, it surfaced that the factory, Delhi Chain Company, at GTK Road industrial area, stored chemicals, used for making ornaments, and water in the tank

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A total of 631 people have died in the country while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last 10 years, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) said

Currently, engaging any person for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks by any person or agency is punishable with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine up of to Rs 5 lakh or both

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The community has launched a hashtag #StopKillingUs on Twitter and demanded government help workers find jobs that give them dignity

Tamil Nadu minister Kadambur Raju inaugurated the operation of the robot

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With so many known risks, and possibly more unknown ones, drainage work ought to be completely mechanised - as a law enacted in 2013 also insists

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