NEW DELHI: There has been a recent spike in the number of people dying during manual scavenging and sewage cleaning in India. This is a serious risk for a large proportion of the population which is engaged in scavenging and sewage cleaning activities in India as they have no protective suits or formal training of the process. They are therefore directly exposed to the harmful gases that are trapped in sewers. The Supreme Court, considering the situation, expressed serious concern and said that nowhere in the world people are sent to “gas chambers to die”.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra questioned Attorney General K K Venugopal, who was the Centre’s representative for the case, as to why proper protective gear like mask and oxygen cylinders were not being provided to people who are engaged in manual scavenging and cleaning of sewage or manholes.
According to a new survey being conducted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, across 18 states, Uttar Pradesh accounts for 6,000 of the total 20.500 people identified as involved in manual scavenging in India.