Hazardous Sewer and Septic Tank Cleaning in India
A recent social audit commissioned by the Union Government highlights the grave lack of safety measures for workers involved in sewer and septic tank cleaning.
Key Findings from the Social Audit
- Over 90% of workers who died from hazardous cleaning tasks lacked safety gear or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Of 54 deaths analyzed from 17 districts across eight states and union territories in 2022 and 2023, only minimal safety equipment such as gloves and gumboots was used in few cases.
- In 49 cases, no safety equipment was used, and only two instances were found where mechanized equipment was made available.
- Lack of equipment readiness was noted in 45 cases.
Awareness and Consent
- A lack of awareness drives was noted, with only seven cases seeing partial awareness efforts.
- No consent was obtained from workers in 27 cases, and even when consent was given, risks were not properly communicated.
NAMASTE Scheme
- Launched in July 2023 to address hazardous cleaning, the scheme has so far identified 84,902 sewer and septic tank workers across 36 States and UTs.
- Only half have received PPE kits, with Odisha being an exception, where all identified workers received kits.
- Capital subsidies worth over ₹20 crore have been allocated to 707 sanitation workers, and about 1,000 workshops on hazardous cleaning prevention were conducted.
The audit and subsequent reports underscore the significant challenges in ensuring worker safety and the need for comprehensive implementation of safety measures and awareness initiatives.
