Waiting for Justice: A Decade After Sewer Deaths, Families Still in Limbo

“We did not receive any compensation from the authorities. I have been waiting for 11 years, but the wait is still not over,” says Mangal Singh, who lost his father in 2016. More than a decade later, the promise of compensation remains unfulfilled.

Mangal’s father was 45 when he died after entering a sewer without adequate safety measures. Like many sanitation workers across India, he was sent into a toxic space without protective gear, an act that continues despite being outlawed.

Following his father’s death, Mangal became the sole earning member of the family in 2016, taking on responsibilities that completely changed his life. He now works as a delivery boy to make ends meet, and his only demand is that the government provide him compensation.

His story is not an isolated one. Across the country, hundreds of families of sanitation workers continue to wait, sometimes for years, for compensation mandated by law.

Despite a legal ban on manual scavenging, deaths in sewers and septic tanks continue to be reported across India, exposing a persistent gap between policy and practice.

Since 2017, hundreds of sanitation workers have died while cleaning toxic spaces, often without even the most basic protective equipment.

Recent government data highlights the scale of the issue. At least 622 sanitation workers have died in sewer and septic tank incidents across India since 2017.

Of these, compensation has not reached 52 affected families, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha. Additionally, six cases were reportedly closed without resolution. These deaths raise serious questions about enforcement, accountability, and the value placed on the lives of sanitation workers and their families.

Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), along with hundreds of sanitation workers, family members, and activists from 10 states, protested and held a dharna at Jantar Mantar on March 25.

India outlawed manual scavenging under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The law bans hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without protective equipment and mandates rehabilitation and compensation for affected families.

The Supreme Court has directed that ₹10 lakh be paid as compensation in cases of sewer and septic tank deaths. However, on the ground, implementation remains deeply flawed.

“Policies are inadequate, and implementation is extremely poor. They also fail to address the real problems faced by safai karamcharis. This concerns some of the most marginalised communities, so implementation must happen at the highest level. Otherwise, no one takes responsibility,” said Bezwada Wilson, National Convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.

“There is a lack of political will, as safai karamcharis largely belong to Scheduled Castes. This casteist mindset prevents necessary action. A time-bound action plan must be announced at the top level immediately. Mechanisation is crucial, and sanitation work must be delinked from caste,” he added.

The protest also highlighted discrepancies between official government data and figures compiled by activists. According to SKA, 121 deaths were recorded in 2025, compared to 46 reported in official data.

In 2024, the organisation documented 116 deaths, while government figures stood at 55. SKA has alleged that the government attempts to underreport the actual number of deaths in sewers. The gap, activists argue, reflects underreporting and a lack of transparency. “Where are the remaining people who were killed?” SKA leaders have asked, demanding that the government present accurate figures in Parliament.

“The year 2026 has just begun, and there have already been 41 deaths in just three months,” said Prakash Adhale, a state convenor from Rajasthan. “These are not accidents. These are systemic failures.”

“Machines for cleaning sewers and septic tanks do exist, but they are often non-functional, insufficient, or simply not used. The failure to adopt mechanised systems, despite their availability, points to a larger pattern of negligence by municipal bodies,” he added.

Beyond the numbers are families whose lives have been permanently disrupted by financial burden.

Pushpa Devi, a resident of Sonipat, lost her husband in 2005 after he entered a sewer in Delhi without any safety equipment. Recalling the incident, she said, “There was gas inside the gutter. There was no safety gear provided by the company. If there had been, why would he have died?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Widowed at just 22, Pushpa was left to raise four children on her own. Today, she works as a helper at an office, earning around ₹12,000 a month. Nearly two decades later, she is still waiting for compensation.

“I have been coming to these meetings for years. I don’t come for myself. I come so that my children get some support,” she said.

Her story highlights a preventable death caused by negligence. Even after two decades, she continues to fight for basic compensation, showing how justice remains delayed. It reflects both systemic failure and her resilience and hope for her children.

Reena, another protester, lost her husband, Sanjay Snoop Chand, in 2013. He was around 32 years old.

“A contractor from our village called him for work at a factory near Sonipat that makes car brakes. He had gone there for cleaning work, but that day there was toxic gas. He had never done that kind of work before. There was no safety gear. He died there.

I earn around ₹6,000–7,000 a month, sometimes less. I have four children, two daughters and two sons. My eldest daughter was 13 when her father died, and the others were even younger. Since then, I have been the sole earner, taking care of the entire family,” she said.

Reena’s story highlights a critical issue: a large number of sanitation workers are hired informally, often through private contractors engaged by municipal bodies. These workers typically lack formal contracts, job security, or access to safety training. In many cases, there is no documented proof of employment, which later becomes a barrier when families seek compensation.

SKA leaders say these deaths are preventable, yet workers continue to be sent into sewers without protective gear such as oxygen masks, gloves, or harnesses.

For families like Mangal, Pushpa, and Reena, these figures are not just statistics, they reflect a system that has failed them.

Families and SKA leaders’ demands are clear: a time-bound action plan to end all sewer and septic tank deaths, along with a concrete roadmap for the complete liberation and rehabilitation of all those engaged in manual scavenging.

They also called for the strict enforcement of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and the 2014 Supreme Court judgment, ensuring their right to live with dignity.