Sanitation worker deaths dropped to 24 in 2021 from 118 in 2019: Govt.

The number of fatalities caused by hazardous cleaning practices of sewers and septic tanks has significantly dropped in the country, according to a written response by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.  

Athawale added that sanitation worker deaths have dropped to 24 in 2021, compared to 118 in 2019.

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale further stated that the Government pays serious attention to the deaths that occur during cleaning processes and takes serious cognizance of the non-compliance of safety measures prescribed under the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013’. 

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“Several steps have been taken for training the sanitation workers and for properly equipping them, due to which the number of accidental deaths has come down from (118) in the year 2019 to (24) in 2021,” Athawale said.

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According to him, a national policy for mechanized sanitation eco-system has been jointly constructed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Department of Drinking water and Sanitation. The policy intends to set up a responsible sanitation authority across districts through a sanitation response unit (SRU) in every municipality.

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Athawale added that the SRUs will consist of crucial machines, devices and vehicles used for mechanized cleaning, trained manpower, transportation, treatment of sludge from septic tanks and a 24×7 helpline. 

For years, sanitation workers have been obliviated, both socially and economically.

According to a Dalberg study published in 2017, around five million people engage in activities that involve being in contact with human fecal matter, sewers, sludges, drains, toilets and sewage treatments. 

About 40% of sanitation workers work in urban areas and nearly half are women. 

According to a review study by The Wire, the average life expectancy of sanitation workers is between 40-45 years, substantially lower than the national average of 70 years.