‘Sewer deaths rampant, states refuse to report’ – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The government has stated that safety standards in the cleaning of sewer and septic tanks are alarmingly low across the country in the wake of 10 people falling prey to cleaning sewers in a month in the capital.

A review of the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013" (MS Act) has found that there is no information available about the cases lodged for engaging sanitation workers in "hazardous cleaning". Engaging sanitation workers without safety equipment is barred by the MS Act.

Without any official data from states, Union social justice ministry has said that 70 cases of deaths of persons in sewers and septic tanks have come to their notice from activists and press reports.

While the ministry took up these incidents with the states, there were no report from their side about action against those responsible except in one or two cases.

Importantly, six states have reported figures of "sewerage deaths" in the context of having paid the compensation to victim families which the SC had made mandatory through a judgement in 2014.

Tamil Nadu has reported 144 deaths, Punjab 18, Karnataka 57, UP 37 and Kerala 12. However, even these figures are not exhaustive and may be just the tip of the iceberg.

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'Sewer deaths rampant, states refuse to report' - Times of India