Latest news with #ProhibitionofEmploymentasManualScavengersandTheirRehabilitationAct
NDTV
5 days ago
- General
- NDTV
Delhi Public Works Department Posts Pictures Of Workers Entering Drain. Then Deletes
Armed with just a shovel, a group of labourers, with no protective gear of gloves, entered the sewers in Delhi's Rohini, in violation of the Supreme Court order. The images were posted on X by the Public Works Department (PWD), saying desilting work is underway. A backlash followed. Soon after, the post was deleted. Ahead of the monsoon, the PWD is clearing drains and removing obstructions from roads across Delhi to prevent waterlogging. The disturbing images, of labourers surrounded by filth, allowed the opposition to target the government. Despite Supreme Court directives and existing laws, manual scavenging continues in various parts of the country. The court has repeatedly stressed the importance of ensuring worker safety and prohibiting manual handling of waste. "The BJP government has always exploited Dalits and the poor. Look at how manual scavenging is being carried out. Legal action should be taken against this," Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj posted. Soon after, the PWD deleted the post. When NDTV questioned Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as to why manual scavenging was still taking place in Delhi despite Supreme Court directives, she said, "The government is preparing for the monsoon. In some areas, it's not possible to use machines, so labourers have been deployed. However, the Delhi government is working in accordance with court orders." A worker recently died while cleaning a drain linked to the Delhi Jal Board. According to Government of India data, 377 people died during drain cleaning between 2019 and 2023. In Delhi alone, 72 deaths occurred during cleaning activities between 2013 and 2024, as per the National Commission for Safai Karamchari. What was the Supreme Court's ruling? In a landmark 2014 ruling, the Supreme Court issued a series of directives to stop manual cleaning of waste and sewage. The court declared that no labourer should be made to clean dangerous sewers. Workers should not be sent into sewer lines without proper safety equipment, it said. The law provides for strict punishment against violators. The court instructed all states and union territories to implement the 2013 law aimed at ending the practice of manual scavenging and ensuring rehabilitation for the victims. While the case was pending in the Supreme Court, the central government enacted the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The petitioners demanded protection of their right to life and equality.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- The Hindu
Woman seeks compensation for husband's death
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday sought response of the State government and the Southern Railway to a petition filed by a woman from Sivaganga district who sought appropriate compensation for the death of her husband. Justice L. Victoria Gowri, who was hearing the petition filed by B. Pathampriyal of Ilayangudi North, sought a counter affidavit from the authorities. The petitioner, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, said her husband Balu was engaged in construction work and was cleaning a septic tank, along with his friend Muniyaswamy, also from Ilayangudi North, at a newly constructed railway building in Rameswaram. The petitioner alleged that they were not provided with safety equipment while cleaning the septic tank. On November 16, 2024, her husband and his friend left for work as usual. Around 2 p.m. on that day, she received a phone call from Muniyaswamy who told her that when he and her husband were cleaning the septic tank, her husband fell unconscious and was taken to Rameswaram Government Hospital. The doctors declared him brought dead. The petitioner said she immediately rushed to the hospital and, subsequently, lodged a complaint with Rameswaram police. Though an FIR was registered, there was no progress in the case. She said the death of her husband was due to the carelessness of railway authorities, who had forced the workers to clean the septic tank without safety equipment. The petitioner sought a direction to the State and the Southern Railway to provide appropriate compensation to her family as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and take appropriate action against the officials who were responsible for the death of her husband. The court posted the matter for hearing to June 3.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
In a first, Delhi's manual scavengers to receive PPE kits ahead of monsoon season
New Delhi, For the first time, nearly 4,000 manual scavengers in Delhi will be provided with Personal Protective Equipment kits ahead of the monsoon season. The kits will include 42 safety items such as helmets with lights, gas protection masks, gumboots, protective clothing, gloves, and barrier creams designed to protect against hazardous gases and skin irritants. The initiative is part of the Centre's 'Namaste' scheme launched in 2023-24 to ensure secure working conditions, financial assistance, and social security benefits for sanitation workers, especially those engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Delhi Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh told PTI that around 4,000 scavengers will get PPE kits before the rains begin. He also directed officials to ensure that all manual scavengers are enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. In addition, departments have been instructed to expedite training and rehabilitation efforts for those involved in manual sewer cleaning and to establish adequate Emergency Response Sanitation Units, Singh said. All district magistrates have been ordered to resolve pending compensation cases related to sewer and septic tank deaths in a time-bound manner, he added. "The safety of every sanitation worker is our priority. They must have access to PPE kits and health insurance before the monsoon," the minister said. Social activist Bezwada Wilson, founder of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, said while PPE kits can help reduce health risks, they do not fully eliminate the dangers faced by manual scavengers. "This step is welcome, but it still does not prevent the deaths of manual scavengers," said Wilson. Wilson also pointed out that the initiative raises concerns under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which officially banned manual scavenging in India. "Instead of sending humans into toxic manholes, the government should focus on introducing machines to clean them," he added. Wilson also shared data on the deaths of manual scavengers, stating that around 102 died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have died in 2025 so far. In Delhi alone, four workers have died this year, he said.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Time of India
Andhra Pradesh high court orders payout of 30L for scavenging deaths since 1993
Vijayawada: In a landmark ruling, the Andhra Pradesh high court has directed the state government to pay compensation of ₹30 lakh and ensure full rehabilitation for the families of sanitation workers who died while cleaning sewage drains and engaging in manual scavenging since 1993. The order aligns with the guidelines issued earlier by the Supreme Court of India. A bench comprising Justice Dheeraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi issued the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Tutika Daalaiah, founder of the Com George Fernandes Memorial Socialist International. The case concerned the death of M Manikyala Rao, a contract sanitation worker with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, who died after falling into a manhole during cleaning work. Although the corporation classified the incident as an accident and paid ₹10 lakh compensation, the high court ordered an additional ₹20 lakh to be paid to Rao's wife within a month. The court further directed that Rao's wife, who was offered an outsourcing job, must be provided with job security, skill development training, and educational support for her children as part of a complete rehabilitation package. Importantly, the court clarified that the ₹30 lakh compensation and rehabilitation measures would apply to all sanitation workers who died during manual scavenging duties since 1993. The commissioner of municipal administration has been instructed to collect data from municipal corporations, municipalities, local bodies, and labour unions across the state. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The court also ruled that officials responsible for such deaths must have adverse entries recorded in their service records, affecting their chances for promotion. In cases involving contract workers, the court directed that compensation be recovered from the contractors concerned. The bench strongly noted the continued violation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, particularly by the VMC. Advocate Padiri Ravi Teja, representing the petitioner, highlighted that around 250 manual scavengers are still employed under the corporation. The court adjourned the next hearing to July 16 to examine pending complaints, including an incident from 2022 where 20 sanitation workers were seen manually cleaning drains near the Lemon Tree Hotel without any action being taken against the officials responsible.
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- New Indian Express
SC raps Haryana government for failing to act on manual scavenging worker widow's plea
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Haryana government, summoning his personal appearance within four weeks to explain the alleged non-compliance with the court's earlier directions regarding a representation filed by Asha — the widow of a sewer worker who died in 2022 while cleaning a sewer. The bench noted on record that it appeared the State of Haryana had neither acted on the Supreme Court's 3 January order nor considered the representation submitted by the petitioner. 'Issue notice, returnable on May 9. The Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana, Chandigarh, is to personally remain present on the next date of hearing so as to make us understand why our order has not been considered and in what manner the representation of January 6 (received by the government on January 9) has been looked into,' the bench said in its order dated 25 April. Asha alleged that, despite submitting multiple representations in 2023 and 2024 seeking statutory compensation of ₹30 lakh—in line with the Supreme Court's judgment in the Balram Singh case—she had received no payment. She subsequently filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court through her counsel, Pawan Reley and others. On 3 January 2025, the court directed the Haryana government to take a decision on the matter. Following the order, Asha submitted a fresh representation to the Chief Secretary on 6 January, which was delivered on 9 January. However, no action has since been taken by the state government. Taking serious note of the non-compliance, the top court has now sought the Chief Secretary's personal presence and a detailed explanation as to why the representation was not decided and why compensation has not been released. The incident in question occurred in 2022, when Asha's husband died after being exposed to hazardous conditions and inhaling poisonous gases while cleaning a sewer. Despite this, Asha has not received any rehabilitation or compensation from the Haryana government, as mandated under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. 'That multiple representations were submitted to the government of Haryana, requesting adequate compensation of ₹30,00,000/- for his client, in line with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in Balram Singh versus Union of India & Others , is not complied with,' Reley said in the petition.
