GANDHINAGAR (Ahmedabad), India: In a dimly lit hut in the western Indian state of Gujarat, Anjana — widow of a sewer worker — cradles her baby boy, her eyes welling up as she says he is named after his father.
Her husband, Umesh Bamaniya, tragically lost his life just ten days before his son’s birth. Umesh, a sewer cleaner, would have earned a meagre 2,000 rupees for his hazardous work. His body was recovered from a sewage-filled manhole in Tharad, Gujarat, a grim reminder of the dangers these workers face daily.
Anjana, now left without her family’s primary breadwinner, is overwhelmed with grief and the daunting task of providing for her children. “How will I raise my children and provide them with an education?” she asks, tears in her eyes.
In Tamil Nadu, hundreds of miles away, Annamma’s life took a devastating turn when her husband, Moses, died of asphyxiation while working in a Chennai sewer. Moses had concealed the dangerous nature of his job from his family, telling them that he worked at a canteen and occasionally took on daily wage labor.
Annamma, now left alone with two young daughters, grapples with the immense challenge of explaining to her children that their father lost his life while cleaning a septic tank.
Umesh and Moses are just two examples of the thousands of sanitation workers from marginalized communities who manually clean sewers, septic tanks, toilets, and drains. They are often labeled as “manual scavengers,” although experts argue that this definition is too narrow.
Despite the ban on manual scavenging in India, this dangerous practice persists, driven by rigid caste rules and a lack of alternative employment opportunities. Local authorities and private contractors continue to hire workers for these perilous tasks, clearing sewers clogged with mud and plastic.
Successive governments, including the current one, have repeatedly failed to meet deadlines aimed at eradicating manual scavenging, with the most recent target set for August of this year.
Discrepancies persist regarding the actual number of individuals engaged in manual scavenging. While a federal minister reported identifying 58,098 manual scavengers in 2021, the Safai Karmachari Andolan claims that the true number exceeds 770,000.
Tragic deaths like those of Umesh and Moses, often due to asphyxiation from toxic gases in sewers, are a recurring nightmare in various Indian cities. In July, the government reported 339 deaths over the past five years while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
A report by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) revealed an even more distressing figure, citing 928 deaths of sewer workers between 1993 and 2020. Tamil Nadu and Gujarat had the highest casualties, although this figure might be an underestimate, as many affected workers are employed on a contract basis, making it easier for authorities and employers to evade responsibility.
Bezwada Wilson, the national convenor of the Safai Karmachari Andolan, accuses the government of failing to accurately count the number of manual scavengers. He points out that stigma prevents many individuals from self-identifying as manual scavengers, leading to underreporting.
Lal Singh Arya, national president of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s Scheduled Caste Front, refutes these claims. He asserts that the government has diligently worked to eradicate the practice, providing separate budgets to states for acquiring new sewer-cleaning technology and offering alternate employment opportunities.
However, activists argue that more comprehensive efforts are needed. Many contractors and corporations neglect to provide safety equipment and lack the necessary machinery for mechanized sewer cleaning. Moreover, the design of sewers often precludes the use of machines, further complicating the task.
Activists face an uphill battle in securing compensation for the families of deceased workers. Many cases have emerged where the promised financial support fails to reach the family members of those who lost their lives in manholes.
Ratnaben’s case is a poignant example. Her husband, Shambhubhai, tragically succumbed to toxic gases in a sewer in Ahmedabad in 2008. Fifteen years later, she is still waiting for the assistance promised to her. In the meantime, she makes a living as a rag-picker.
The district collector of Ahmedabad has not responded to the BBC’s inquiries regarding Ratnaben’s allegations. Bezwada Wilson emphasizes that even when workers aspire to leave their perilous professions, the pervasive stigma and deeply rooted caste discrimination make escape nearly impossible. This makes their social rehabilitation even more challenging, even if they manage to find alternative means of livelihood.
The heart-wrenching stories of Umesh, Moses, and many others like them underscore a painful and hidden reality — the suffering of countless sanitation workers who risk their lives in India’s sewers daily. While some progress has been made, the battle to eradicate manual scavenging and ensure the safety and dignity of these workers is far from over. The stories of Anjana, Annamma, Umesh, Moses, and many others who have suffered and lost their lives in the depths of India’s sewers are a poignant reminder that much work remains to be done.
