315 sewer deaths reported in India in five years
Government data reveals hundreds killed cleaning sewers as debate grows over caste-linked sanitation work and enforcement failures
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — At least 315 people have died while cleaning sewers and manholes in India over the past five years, according to government data presented in Parliament, highlighting persistent fatalities in hazardous sanitation work despite a decades-long legal ban on manual scavenging.
The figures, shared by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, have renewed scrutiny over worker safety and enforcement failures, as sanitation deaths continue to be reported across multiple states.
Seven states accounted for 77.5% of the deaths, with Maharashtra recording the highest number at 53 fatalities since 2021, according to data cited in Parliament. The deaths typically occur during manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, where workers are exposed to toxic gases, suffocation risks and lack of protective equipment.
The data was raised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) lawmaker John Brittas, who sought details on deaths, injuries, compensation and safety measures implemented over the past five years. Brittas described the fatalities as preventable and reflective of systemic failures in worker protection.
In response, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale told Parliament that sanitation work is classified as occupation-based rather than caste-based, adding that caste-wise data on sewer deaths is not maintained. He also stated that compensation had been provided to families of workers who died during hazardous cleaning operations.
However, rights advocates say sanitation work in India remains closely linked to historically marginalized communities, particularly Dalits, and argue that lack of caste-based data obscures structural inequalities.
Manual scavenging — the practice of manually cleaning human waste and sewage systems — was first banned in India in 1993. A stronger law, the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, expanded the ban, outlawed unsafe sanitation practices and mandated rehabilitation for affected workers.
Despite the legal prohibition, advocacy groups including Safai Karmachari Andolan have documented continued deaths during sewer and septic tank cleaning operations across India.
The government has introduced safety initiatives in recent years. Under the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem, launched in 2023–2024, authorities aim to reduce manual entry into sewers by expanding mechanized cleaning, distributing protective equipment and providing training for sanitation workers.
The program also includes deployment of emergency sanitation response units and financial assistance to urban local bodies for mechanized cleaning equipment.
However, observers say enforcement gaps remain. Last year, the government told Parliament that no deaths were reported due to manual scavenging over two years, while acknowledging fatalities during hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning.
Advocates argue that this distinction allows authorities to claim elimination of manual scavenging while hazardous sanitation work — often involving manual entry — continues.
Worker safety campaigners warn that without stricter enforcement, mechanization and accountability, sewer deaths are likely to persist, raising broader concerns about labor protections, caste-linked occupations and public health risks in India’s sanitation sector.
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