Hole of shame: Manual scavenging continues in Delhi despite ban
NEW DELHI: A ground inspection in Delhi on Aug 2 highlighted that manual scavenging persists in the capital despite official claims to the contrary.
Eight men, primarily from Sunder Nagar, were seen clearing a clogged drain near Mother Dairy Flats at Ganesh Nagar.
The task was assigned by a contractor employed by the Public Works Department.
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Similarly, at Geeta Colony Road, four daily wage labourers were engaged in drain cleaning. Sonu said, 'These drains are very narrow, that's why we are not going inside the drain. We are using a shovel. Many times, lots of plastic bottles clog the drain, then we have to go inside the drain.'
Workers on a daily-wage basis often earn below the legally mandated minimum wage and face health hazards.
The job remains perilous, unsanitary and dehumanising.
Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated on July 22 that no reports of manual scavenging had been received from any state or Union territory. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Athawale mentioned that the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 had banned manual scavenging from Dec 6, 2013.
In April 2025, when TOI inquired about the matter, a senior govt official responded, 'Questions should be asked of the previous govt — what happened to all the machines they claimed to have procured for drain cleaning? Where are the machines they posed with for photographs? Soon, manual scavenging and outdated practices will be things of the past.'
Today, manual scavenging continues in the national capital, reflecting a disregard for both law and human dignity.
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