During the Interim Budget on February 1, 2024, and the Union Budget on July 23, 2024, 43 sanitation workers reportedly died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks, yet neither manual scavenging nor sewer fatalities were mentioned in the Union Budget 2024, said Bezwada Wilson, national convenor of Safai Karmachari Andolan.
“Such deaths are not just the gross violation of human rights, they also violate the various Supreme Court orders on Prevention of Manual Scavenging. Besides, since each and every person involved in this work and henceforth dying in the pits belong to Dalit community, these deaths are also a clearcut violation of Prevention of Atrocities Act, as well as they also tantamount to untouchability, which is illegal in India. But ironically, the Government of India is hardly concerned with any of these facts,” said Wilson in a statement.
“Deaths of Sanitation Workers in sewers and septic tanks is an ongoing human right crisis in India, but the government has been continuously in denial mode. Government has no system in place to track such deaths comprehensively. Every time there is any such incident, the first reaction from the government is to disguise it as an accidental death,” he added.
Continuing the statement, Wilson said, “The apathy on part of the government towards deaths of Safai Karmacharis is reflected by the fact that it does not even accepts the definition of “manual scavenger’ as mentioned in the Act passed by Parliament of India. Since, government simply denies the existence of practice of manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, it blatantly refuses to recognise these deaths under the Act. This is in complete defiance of the Supreme Court judgment regarding compensation and other benefits to kin of the persons who die in sewers and septic tanks. Government needs to accept that these deaths are not just because of occupational hazards. These are a heinous crime against Dalit sanitation workers. Such deaths have to be prevented.”
The award-winning social activist said that many reports have shown how manual scavengers are dying while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. These workers are risking their lives every day.
“Despite numerous calls for reform and the implementation of laws aimed at eradicating this hazardous practice, the government’s negligence remains glaringly apparent. There is little evidence of substantive action taken to prevent such future occurrences. Furthermore, the government has failed to regulate local authorities, which are continuously failing to provide necessary safety equipment or training for those involved in such cleaning for emergencies. The absence of robust policies reflects a broader societal indifference towards issues affecting marginalised communities in India,” he added.
The Safai Karmachari Andolan has criticized the government for not protecting sanitation workers. They are asking the government to acknowledge these deaths and to ensure that no one changes or hides any information about them.
Who is Bezwada Wilson?
Bezwada Wilson is an Indian activist who has dedicated his life to eradicating the practice of manual scavenging in India. He is one of the founders and National Convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), a human rights organization that has been campaigning against manual scavenging since 1986.
Wilson’s work has been recognized with several awards, including being named an Ashoka Senior Fellow for human rights in 2009 and receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2016.
