Editorial: After four deaths in Ujjain, why India keeps losing sanitation workers
In one line: Sewer deaths continue because the hazard of human entry has not been removed, even though the law bans it and courts have set heavy compensation.
Published 6 November 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
Late on 31 October 2026, four workers died after entering a waste chamber to clean it at the Shri Ganga Hotel on the Ujjain-Dewas road in Madhya Pradesh. Two others who went in to rescue them fell ill. Police suspected suffocation, the district administration ordered an inquiry, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced ₹4 lakh for each family. The Hindu's editorial of 6 November, 'Danger in the sewer', uses the deaths to argue that India keeps losing sanitation workers in deaths that are foreseeable and largely preventable, despite laws, Supreme Court orders, government programmes, mechanised cleaning technology and political appeals. Data from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) show 859 deaths in sewer and septic tank cleaning from 2014 to 2025, and 31 deaths in 2026 up to 20 October, with full compensation paid in only nine of those cases.
The legal frame is clear. The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 bars any person, local authority or agency from employing anyone, directly or indirectly, for hazardous cleaning of a sewer or septic tank. In Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (20 October 2023), the Supreme Court raised compensation for a sewer death to ₹30 lakh, set at least ₹20 lakh for permanent disability and at least ₹10 lakh for other disabilities, and directed that outsourced contracts must not require workers to enter sewers. The editorial notes that the government has said since 2021 that manual cleaning of excreta from insanitary latrines has ended, and argues that declaring the practice eliminated can reduce the pressure to inspect. It says the state has focused on helping workers after the fact rather than removing the conditions that expose them to risk.
The editorial also points to how the work is organised. Contractors and municipal bodies often hire undocumented daily-wage workers, which helps them avoid liability, and members of historically marginalised castes are over-represented in this work. The Safai Karamchari Andolan alleges significant under-reporting of deaths. The editorial says the NAMASTE scheme (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) shows a gap between its aims and outcomes. It recommends a goal of zero human entry into sewers through mechanisation, liability for principal employers, an independent public record of deaths and compensation, formal employment with social security, and inspections that extend to private establishments such as hotels.
Prelims facts
- NCSK data show 859 deaths in sewer and septic tank cleaning in India from 2014 to 2025.
- The Manual Scavengers Act, 2013 prohibits employing anyone, directly or indirectly, for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
- In Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (2023), the Supreme Court fixed ₹30 lakh compensation for a sewer death.
- The Balram Singh ruling also barred outsourced contracts from requiring workers to enter sewers.
- The editorial calls for zero human entry, principal employer liability and an independent public record of deaths.
Quick recall
- Deaths in sewer and septic tank cleaning, 2014 to 2025 (NCSK)?
- 859.
- Which Act bans hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks?
- The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
- Compensation for a sewer death fixed in Balram Singh (2023)?
- ₹30 lakh.
- Date of the Balram Singh judgment?
- 20 October 2023.
- Judges who delivered Balram Singh?
- Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar.
- What does NAMASTE stand for?
- National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem.
- Where did four workers die cleaning a hotel waste chamber on 31 October 2026?
- Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, at a hotel on the Ujjain-Dewas road.
- Which national commission compiles data on sewer deaths?
- The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK).
Prelims practice question
With reference to the Supreme Court's judgment in Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (2023), consider the following statements:
1. It fixed compensation of ₹30 lakh for the family of a worker who dies in sewer cleaning.
2. It set compensation of at least ₹20 lakh for permanent disability that leaves the victim economically helpless.
3. It allowed outsourced contracts to require entry into sewers if safety gear is provided.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong: the court directed that outsourced sewer work must not require anyone to enter sewers.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Protection of vulnerable sections: sanitation workers, caste and the gap between law and enforcement
- How to use this
Use sewer deaths as an example of a scheme for a vulnerable group falling short because workers are informal, unregistered and absent from decision making.
- NCSK data record 859 sewer and septic tank deaths from 2014 to 2025, despite the 2013 ban on hazardous cleaning.
- Contractors and municipal bodies hire undocumented daily-wage workers to avoid liability, and the NAMASTE scheme shows a gap between aims and outcomes.
- In 2026 up to 20 October, full compensation was paid in only 9 of 31 deaths.
- How to use this
Use the over-representation of marginalised castes in sewer work as an illustration that caste still structures occupations despite legal bans.
- Members of historically marginalised castes remain over-represented in sewer and septic tank cleaning.
- The government has said since 2021 that manual cleaning of insanitary latrines has ended, while the Safai Karamchari Andolan alleges under-reporting of deaths.
- Article 17 abolished untouchability, yet NCSK data record 859 sewer and septic tank deaths from 2014 to 2025.
Balram Singh relied on Article 23, which prohibits forced labour, part of the Right against Exploitation tested in this question.
Mains practice question
Despite legal prohibition and judicial directions, deaths in sewer and septic tank cleaning continue in India. Analyse the reasons and suggest measures to end them. (250 words)
Model answer
Late on 31 October 2026, four workers died cleaning a hotel waste chamber in Ujjain. NCSK data record 859 sewer and septic tank deaths from 2014 to 2025, despite a clear legal ban.
Legal and judicial framework
- The Manual Scavengers Act, 2013 bars employing anyone, directly or indirectly, for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
- Dr. Balram Singh (2023): ₹30 lakh for a death, at least ₹20 lakh for permanent disability; outsourced contracts must not require sewer entry.
- Articles 17, 21 and 23 underpin the right to dignified, safe work.
Why deaths continue
- Contracting: undocumented daily-wage workers let contractors and municipal bodies escape liability.
- Weak enforcement: in 2026 up to 20 October, full compensation was paid in only 9 of 31 cases.
- Data gaps: the Safai Karamchari Andolan alleges under-reporting.
- Official denial: declaring manual scavenging eliminated reduces inspection pressure, the editorial argues.
- Caste: marginalised castes remain over-represented in this work.
- Private premises: official claims of elimination reduce the pressure to inspect private establishments such as hotels, the editorial argues.
Way forward
- Zero human entry through mechanisation and machine-ready sewer design.
- Hold principal employers liable for deaths, not just contractors.
- Independent public record of deaths and compensation.
- Formal employment and social security for sanitation workers.
- Extend inspections to private establishments.
- Make NAMASTE outcome-based, with registration of every worker.
Ending sewer deaths needs the state to remove the hazard, not merely compensate its victims.
The basics
Why this matters
Sewer and septic tank deaths are a test of whether the Indian state can enforce its own laws for its most vulnerable workers. The problem joins caste, urban governance, labour law and fundamental rights. It is a frequent theme in GS1 and GS2, and the Ujjain deaths show it is far from solved.
Manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning
The law separates two things. Manual scavenging is cleaning human excreta by hand from insanitary latrines, open drains or pits. Hazardous cleaning is entering a sewer or septic tank without protective gear and safety procedures. Both are banned by the Manual Scavengers Act, 2013. The government says manual scavenging of insanitary latrines has ended, but sewer entry continues, and that is where workers die, usually after inhaling toxic gases in closed spaces.
- 2013Manual Scavengers Act bans hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.
- 2014Safai Karamchari Andolan judgment fixes ₹10 lakh compensation for sewer deaths since 1993.
- 20 October 2023Balram Singh judgment raises compensation to ₹30 lakh and bars contracts requiring sewer entry.
- 31 October 2026Four workers die cleaning a hotel waste chamber in Ujjain.
What the courts said
The Supreme Court treats these deaths as violations of fundamental rights. In the Balram Singh judgment, it relied on Articles 15(2), 17, 23 and 24 and gave 14 directions, including a model contract with penalties, rehabilitation for families, a national survey and a public dashboard. The editorial's point is that these orders exist but are not followed.
Why the problem persists
The work is outsourced to contractors who hire casual workers off the books, so no one is clearly liable. Workers often come from communities historically forced into sanitation work, which links the issue to Caste and sanitation work. Schemes such as NAMASTE scheme aim at zero deaths through mechanisation and registration, but the editorial says outcomes lag behind. Its answer is to remove the hazard itself: no human entry, and liability for whoever orders the cleaning.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
The topic links social justice, caste, urban local bodies, labour law and fundamental rights. It fits GS1 questions on caste, GS2 questions on vulnerable sections and welfare schemes, and GS4 questions on accountability.
The core idea
The Manual Scavengers Act, 2013 bans hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. The Balram Singh judgment raised compensation to ₹30 lakh and banned contracts that require sewer entry. Yet deaths go on, because the work is outsourced to casual workers, enforcement is weak and records are incomplete. The NAMASTE scheme aims at zero deaths through mechanisation, but outcomes lag. Underneath lies Caste and sanitation work: the people who enter sewers still come largely from historically marginalised castes.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 859 deaths in sewer and septic tank work, 2014 to 2025 (NCSK).
- 31 deaths in 2026 to 20 October; full compensation in 9 cases.
- ₹30 lakh compensation for a death since 20 October 2023.
- 31 October 2026: four workers die in Ujjain.
Where to go next
- Manual Scavengers Act, 2013: the law that bans hazardous cleaning.
- Balram Singh judgment: the Supreme Court's 2023 directions.
- NAMASTE scheme: the government's mechanisation programme.
- Caste and sanitation work: why the burden falls on some communities.
Go deeper: compensation or prevention?
The editorial's central claim is that the Indian state has treated sewer deaths as a welfare problem to be compensated, not a hazard to be eliminated. The record supports the worry. The Balram Singh judgment set ₹30 lakh for a death, but NCSK data show full compensation in only nine of 31 deaths in 2026 up to 20 October. Compensation, however generous, arrives after the death.
The legal design is sound on paper. The Manual Scavengers Act, 2013 bans hazardous cleaning by anyone, including local authorities. The court's 2023 directions required model contracts with penalties, a national survey and a public dashboard. What fails is the chain of responsibility. When a hotel or a civic body hires a contractor, who hires a daily-wage worker without papers, no one on the chain feels liable. That is why the editorial wants principal employers held responsible.
The government's position is that manual scavenging of insanitary latrines has ended, and that sewer cleaning is an occupation-based, not caste-based, activity. Critics, including the Safai Karamchari Andolan, argue that official numbers undercount deaths and that the caste profile of workers is plain to see, which links to Caste and sanitation work.
On solutions there is wide agreement in principle: machines, not people, should enter sewers. The NAMASTE scheme registers workers and funds machines, but the editorial says its aims and outcomes remain far apart. Its proposals, zero human entry, an independent record of deaths, formal jobs with social security, and inspections of private premises, shift the focus from relief to prevention.
Manual Scavengers Act, 2013
The law that bans hazardous cleaning.
In one line: The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 bans manual scavenging and the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, and provides for rehabilitation.
What it does
- It prohibits employing manual scavengers, who clean human excreta by hand.
- Section 7 says no person, local authority or agency shall employ anyone, directly or indirectly, for hazardous cleaning of a sewer or septic tank.
- It provides for identifying manual scavengers and rehabilitating them.
The two categories
The Act treats manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning as separate. The government says the first has ended; the second still kills workers.
Why it is in the news
The Ujjain deaths of 31 October 2026 show the ban is not being enforced, especially on private premises.
Where to go next
Balram Singh judgment
The Supreme Court's 2023 directions.
In one line: In Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India (20 October 2023), the Supreme Court raised compensation for sewer deaths to ₹30 lakh and ordered the phased end of manual sewer cleaning.
The Bench and the basis
Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar relied on Articles 15(2), 17, 23 and 24. The ₹30 lakh was set as the current equivalent of the ₹10 lakh fixed earlier for deaths since 1993.
Key directions
- At least ₹20 lakh for permanent disability; at least ₹10 lakh for other disabilities.
- Outsourced work must not require anyone to enter sewers.
- A model contract with cancellation and blacklisting for violations.
- Rehabilitation, scholarships, a national survey and a portal on deaths and compensation.
Why it is in the news
The editorial says these directions are widely ignored.
Where to go next
NAMASTE scheme
The government's mechanisation programme.
In one line: NAMASTE, the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem, is a central scheme to make sanitation work safe and mechanised and to end deaths.
What it does
Run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it registers sewer and septic tank workers and waste pickers, and offers protective equipment, safety training, health insurance under Ayushman Bharat and capital subsidies for sanitation machines. As of 12 March 2026, 89,248 sewer and septic tank workers had been validated under it, according to a Lok Sabha answer.
The gap
Its stated aim is zero fatalities in sanitation work. The editorial says outcomes fall short, and the government has said data on action against contractors for breaking mechanisation norms is not maintained centrally.
Where to go next
Caste and sanitation work
Why the burden falls on some communities.
In one line: Sanitation work in India has historically been forced on particular castes, and that link persists in who enters sewers today.
The history
The caste system tied the cleaning of human waste to communities treated as 'untouchable'. Article 17 abolished untouchability, and Article 23 bans forced labour, but occupational patterns have changed slowly.
The present debate
The editorial says members of historically marginalised castes are over-represented in sewer work. The Social Justice Ministry told Parliament in March 2026 that sewer and septic tank cleaning is 'occupation-based', not caste-based. Activists argue this framing hides the social reality.
Why it matters
If the workforce is drawn from the same communities, sewer deaths are not only a labour issue but a matter of dignity and equality.
Where to go next
Take the 6 November 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers