Danger Goes Beyond Polluted Water

Sewers and septic tanks are confined spaces with restricted access, limited ventilation and potentially dangerous atmospheres. The hazards are not always visible, and workers may have little opportunity to escape when something goes wrong.

One of the most serious threats is hydrogen sulphide, a highly toxic gas that can be produced during the decomposition of organic waste. Although it is commonly associated with a rotten-egg smell, this odour is not a reliable warning. Exposure can rapidly impair the sense of smell, meaning a worker may no longer detect the gas even when dangerous concentrations are present.

Oxygen deficiency is another critical hazard. Methane can create fire and explosion risks, while other toxic gases may also accumulate depending on the substances entering the system. Simply opening a manhole or septic-tank cover does not establish that the atmosphere is safe.

Physical hazards add to the danger. Slippery surfaces, falls, sudden inflows of sewage, unstable structures and drowning can all contribute to serious injuries or fatalities. A worker who becomes unconscious inside a confined space may be unable to call for assistance or escape.

One of the greatest risks occurs when another person attempts an unplanned rescue. A colleague, supervisor or family member may instinctively enter the space to help a collapsed worker, only to be overcome by the same hazardous atmosphere.

No one should enter a sewer or septic tank to attempt a rescue without appropriate specialist training, equipment and a properly planned rescue procedure. Emergency services must be contacted immediately, and non-entry rescue methods should be used only where they can be carried out safely.

The Damage Continues Beyond the Worksite

The consequences of unsafe sewer and septic-tank cleaning extend far beyond an individual incident.

Routine exposure to sewage and human excreta can cause infections, skin conditions and other occupational health problems. Sanitation workers need appropriate protective clothing, washing and bathing facilities, safe drinking water, access to medical care and occupational health guidance. Wounds must be protected, and vaccination or other preventive healthcare measures should be provided where medically indicated.

Public safety also requires attention. Open manholes, unsecured septic-tank covers and poorly protected work areas can endanger pedestrians, children, residents and passing vehicles. Suitable barricades, warning signs and traffic-management arrangements are essential. Access points must be secured once the work is completed.

The consequences for affected families can be devastating. When a worker dies, a household may lose its primary income overnight. Rent, education expenses, medical costs and loan repayments do not disappear. Survivors who suffer permanent disabilities may face prolonged treatment, loss of earnings and difficulties returning to work.

There is also a wider social dimension.

India's legal framework recognises the historical injustice associated with manual scavenging and the caste-based discrimination that has contributed to its persistence. Treating hazardous sanitation work as an unavoidable responsibility of certain communities only perpetuates this inequality.

Sanitation workers provide an essential public service. Their right to dignity, safe working conditions and adequate protection must never depend on their economic or social status.

Government Intervention: What the Law Seeks to Change

India already has a legal framework intended to prevent hazardous sanitation practices.

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 addresses both the prohibition of manual scavenging and the protection of people engaged in sewer and septic-tank cleaning.

Section 7 prohibits individuals, local authorities and agencies from directly or indirectly engaging or employing anyone for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

An important distinction must be recognised here. Manual scavenging and hazardous sewer or septic-tank cleaning are separately defined under the law. The absence of reported manual scavenging in a particular survey does not establish that all sanitation work is being performed safely.

Section 33 places a duty on local authorities and other agencies to use appropriate technological equipment when cleaning sewers, septic tanks and related spaces, with the objective of eliminating the need for manual handling of human excreta.

This makes mechanisation more than a matter of operational convenience. It is central to the law's preventive approach.

The NAMASTE Initiative

In July 2023, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, launched the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme.

The initiative seeks to improve the safety, dignity and livelihoods of sanitation workers while promoting mechanised cleaning.

Its components include worker identification and profiling, occupational safety training, health insurance coverage under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, personal protective equipment, financial assistance for sanitation machinery and strengthening Emergency Response Sanitation Units.

The scheme aims to prevent sanitation-related fatalities, reduce direct contact with human waste and improve access to safer employment opportunities.

However, the success of these measures depends on effective implementation. Equipment must reach the workers who need it, training must translate into safe practices, and local systems must be capable of delivering reliable services.

Supreme Court Directions on Compensation

Judicial intervention has also strengthened accountability.

In its judgment in Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India, delivered on 20 October 2023, the Supreme Court directed that compensation for sewer-cleaning deaths be increased to ₹30 lakh.

For victims suffering disabilities, the Court directed minimum compensation of ₹10 lakh, with at least ₹20 lakh payable where permanent disability renders a victim economically helpless.

These directions acknowledge the devastating consequences faced by workers and their families.

Compensation can provide important financial support after a tragedy. It cannot, however, substitute for prevention.

The real objective must be to ensure that workers are not exposed to avoidable life-threatening conditions in the first place.

What Safer Cleaning Should Involve

The first question before undertaking sewer or septic-tank cleaning should be whether the work can be completed without human entry.

Mechanical methods such as suction, jetting, desludging equipment, robotic systems and remote inspection technologies should be assessed according to the nature of the blockage and the conditions at the site.

Purchasing machinery alone is not enough. Equipment must be suitable for the task, properly maintained and readily available. Operators must be trained, and arrangements must be made for the safe transport, treatment and disposal of collected sewage and sludge.

Moving waste from a septic tank into an open drain merely transfers the problem elsewhere.

When Manual Entry Cannot Be Avoided

Manual sewer cleaning is restricted under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013. Rule 3 identifies limited exceptional circumstances in which it may be permitted, including specified maintenance activities and other cases of absolute necessity where the local authority's Chief Executive Officer has granted permission after recording valid reasons in writing.

Where entry is legally permitted and genuinely unavoidable, the operation must be planned and controlled by competent personnel.

Key precautions include:

Workers must also receive instructions in a language they understand and should be able to report unsafe conditions or stop dangerous work without intimidation or financial retaliation.

A helmet, gloves and safety boots do not make a toxic atmosphere breathable. Likewise, ventilation and gas testing must never be treated as routine paperwork rather than essential safety controls.

Safe entry requires a complete system of precautions, not isolated pieces of equipment.

Customers and Businesses Have a Role

Responsibility for safer sanitation does not rest solely with cleaning contractors.

Households, apartment associations, hotels, hospitals, commercial buildings and industrial establishments influence how this work is commissioned and carried out.

Before engaging a cleaning service, customers should understand the proposed method of cleaning, the equipment required and whether workers are expected to enter a sewer or septic tank.

Where applicable, the contractor's authorisation and compliance with local requirements should be verified.

Cost should not be the only consideration when selecting a service provider. A quotation must account for suitable equipment, trained personnel, safe waste disposal and adequate time to complete the work.

Choosing the cheapest option without checking the proposed methods can create pressure for dangerous shortcuts.

Businesses should establish clear safety requirements in service contracts, verify contractor competence and monitor whether agreed safety arrangements are being followed. Outsourcing the activity should not mean ignoring the risks associated with work performed on the premises.

Regular inspection and maintenance can also prevent emergencies. Accessible tank openings, accurate maintenance records and timely desludging reduce the likelihood of urgent interventions under unsafe conditions.

If a contractor or worker proposes entering a sewer or septic tank without appropriate precautions, the work should not proceed. The responsible organisation and relevant local authority should be informed.

Urgency is never a justification for putting someone's life at risk.

Government, Local Bodies and Police: Making Responsibility Visible

Preventing sewer and septic-tank deaths requires coordinated action from government departments, local authorities, employers and enforcement agencies.

Central and state governments have an important role in strengthening funding, training, mechanisation, monitoring and enforcement. Progress should be measured not merely by the number of machines purchased or workers trained, but by whether hazardous practices are actually being prevented.

Municipal corporations, municipalities and panchayats are especially important because they are directly connected to local sanitation services.

Section 33 of the 2013 Act places responsibility on local authorities and other agencies to adopt suitable technology for cleaning activities.

Meeting this responsibility means ensuring that appropriate machinery is available, qualified service providers can be accessed, equipment is maintained and clear complaint mechanisms are in place.

Local bodies should provide accessible information on arranging safe sewer and septic-tank cleaning services. They should also oversee contracted operations, respond to reports of unsafe work and coordinate emergency arrangements.

In smaller municipalities and rural areas, shared mechanised cleaning services and coordinated resources may help overcome equipment and staffing limitations.

District administrations also have a role in coordinating departments, supporting affected families and facilitating the implementation of applicable legal and compensation procedures.

Where hazardous cleaning results in injury or death, police should investigate suspected offences under the relevant laws.

Investigations should establish who engaged the workers, who authorised and supervised the activity, whether mandatory safety measures were followed, and whether negligence or unlawful practices contributed to the incident.

Accountability must extend beyond the individual worker or immediate supervisor when unsafe decisions originate higher in the contracting or management chain.

Effective enforcement sends an important message: a worker's life cannot be treated as an acceptable cost of maintaining essential services.