332 sanitation workers died in hazardous sewer/septic tank cleaning (Jan 2021–Jun 2026): Lok Sabha reply on MS Act, 2013 enforcement
Lok Sabha reply highlights continued deaths in hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning, weak mechanisation coverage, and ongoing enforcement under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
- The Union Government linked eradication of manual scavenging to enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, rehabilitation, and mechanised sanitation.
- The Lok Sabha reply said hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning continued to cause deaths among sanitation workers in multiple States and Union Territories.
- The Lok Sabha reply said concerned States and Union Territories registered First Information Reports against agencies and officials responsible for hazardous manual cleaning.
What happened
A written reply in the Lok Sabha said the Union Government remains committed to the eradication of manual scavenging through enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, rehabilitation of affected persons, and promotion of mechanised sanitation systems.
The reply also stated that 332 sanitation workers died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in 18 States and Union Territories during 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2026. It further said that 193 First Information Reports were registered during the last five years against agencies and officials responsible for hazardous manual cleaning.
UPSC may frame the issue around the effectiveness of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the limits of enforcement, the role of mechanised sanitation, and the continuing risks faced by sanitation workers. The topic also lends itself to questions on dignity, rehabilitation, local-body responsibility, and criminal liability for violations.
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