Unending pattern: Worker dies trying to clean sewer in Delhi
Over 400 manual scavengers have died in the last five years, per information from the Centre
In a tragic event in northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar, a 40-year-old man died and three others were hospitalised in critical condition after losing consciousness while cleaning a sewer. The incident took place around 11.30 pm near Harihar Apartments in Ashok Vihar Phase-II, when one worker slipped into the sewer, and others who attempted to help also fell. Bystanders rescued them.
The deceased, identified as Arvind from Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, was declared dead on arrival at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital. The three others — Sonu and Narayan (also Kasganj), and Naresh (from Bihar) — remain in intensive care in a drowsy state.
According to a surviving co-worker, no safety equipment was provided by the company. “Usually, we receive gas masks and other protective gear, but this time we got nothing,” said Narayan. They had been promised around Rs 1,000-1,500 to clean the drain, which they took to earn more, despite the lack of protective measures.
Police stated that the company conducting sewer operations in that area had been active for several days; its manager has been summoned for questioning. An FIR has been filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence (section 106(1)), negligent conduct with respect to machinery (section 289), and also under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 — specifically sections 7 and 9.
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This incident is not isolated but part of a recurring pattern of deaths and serious harm among sewer and septic-tank cleaners. Despite legal prohibitions, the practice persists, with frequent reports of lack of safety gear, inadequate oversight, and social invisibility.
Over 400 manual scavengers have died on the job in the last five years, per information from the Centre. In a related figure, 339 people died between 2016 and 2020 while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
According to multiple sources, around 97 per cent of manual scavengers in India belong to Dalit communities, underlining how caste remains intimately tied to this hazardous job.
The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (2011) found 180,657 households engaged in manual scavenging work for livelihood, across India.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSRA) outlaws the employment of persons for manual cleaning of sewers, septic tanks, insanitary latrines etc., without proper protection, and provides for rehabilitation.
However, implementation has been weak. Many of the deaths among sewer cleaners are not registered as violations under PEMSRA; instead, they are often filed under negligence or accidental death. There is also widespread under-reporting, partially due to stigma, informal employment, and lack of monitoring.
The Ashok Vihar tragedy is symptomatic of deeper institutional failures around manual scavenging. It underscores that prohibition in law must be paired with rigorous enforcement, worker protections, and social justice if India is to end this unsafe and demeaning practice once and for all.
With PTI inputs