Hazardous Sanitation Work in India

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Context

A social audit tabled in Parliament reveals systemic lapses in mechanized sanitation implementation, contributing to 150 hazardous cleaning deaths during 2022–2023.

Structural Failures in Implementation

Contractualisation of Risk: Of the 54 deaths audited, 38 victims were employed by private contractors, while several public sector workers were informally ‘loaned’, masking employer liability.
Gaps in Legal Compliance: Despite the 2013 Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act and judicial directives, enforcement has been weak, with workers operating without safeguards.
Inadequate Coverage of NAMASTE Scheme: In 2024, only ?14 crore was released under NAMASTE—insufficient to mechanise even one major city—highlighting poor financial prioritisation.

Safety, Equipment, and Capacity Deficits

Minimal PPE Distribution: Out of 57,758 identified sanitation workers, only 16,791 received personal protective equipment, exposing a critical safety gap.
Poor Health and Training Support: Less than 14,000 workers received health cards, and only 837 safety workshops were conducted across 4,800 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Technology Adoption Remains Uneven: While Tamil Nadu and Odisha have shown progress via robotic and mechanised desludging, such innovations remain absent in most districts.

Institutional Negligence and Social Injustice

Weak Penal Accountability: In cases of worker deaths, police often book only junior-level supervisors or classify the incident as an accident, bypassing systemic culpability.
Rehabilitation Gaps for Marginalised Communities: Over two-thirds of verified workers belong to Dalit communities, yet few receive meaningful rehabilitation such as housing or educational scholarships.
Exclusion of Women and Rural Sanitation Workers: Women sanitation workers, particularly those sweeping dry latrines, receive negligible policy attention; rural sanitation workers lack any structured data or support mechanisms.

Practice Question:

“Despite legislative safeguards and technological alternatives, hazardous manual sanitation persists in India. Critically examine the institutional and structural barriers to mechanisation of sanitation work. Also suggest a robust policy roadmap.” (250 words)

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Geography