New Delhi: At least 622 sanitation workers died in sewer and septic tank incidents across India since 2017, but compensation never reached 52 of the affected families, according to government data tabled in Lok Sabha Tuesday. Six cases were closed without resolution.
The figures came in response to a question by Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary, directed at the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, on sewer deaths and rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
According to the data provided, of the 622 deaths reported across 21 states and Union Territories, 539 families received full compensation, 25 partial, and 52 nothing. Six cases were closed.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest fatalities at 86, followed by Maharashtra at 82, Tamil Nadu at 77, Haryana 76, Gujarat 73, and Delhi 62.
The gap between the numbers of deaths and the number of families who received compensation was sharpest in Uttar Pradesh, where 13 of 86 families received no financial aid, and two received only partial payment.
In Delhi, nine of the 62 families got nothing. In Gujarat, two families remain uncompensated and one case was closed. Maharashtra left nine families without any payment.
Within Uttar Pradesh, district-level data showed Chandauli recorded four deaths with zero compensation disbursed. Ambedkar Nagar reported two deaths, both uncompensated. Gautam Budhnagar had 16 deaths — full compensation in eight cases, nothing in six, and two cases closed.
The government stated that a 2023 survey under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 found no manual scavengers in any district nationwide.
Two earlier surveys from 2013 and 2018, however, had identified 58,098, with Uttar Pradesh alone accounting for 32,473, more than half the national count.
All 58,098 and their dependents received One Time Cash Assistance of Rs 40,000 each. Skill development training reached 27,928 individuals. Capital subsidy of up to Rs 5 lakh for self-employment was extended to 2,679.
Also Read: As draft law awaits Cabinet approval, govt begins groundwork to mechanise sewer cleaning
NAMASTE coverage
The government launched the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) in 2023-24, with an aim to eliminate manual scavenging by promoting mechanising sewer and septic tank cleaning. The programme seeks to rehabilitate and skill sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs), provide training, financial assistance, and safety gear.
Under NAMASTE, 89,114 SSWs were validated nationally as of 31 December 2025. Uttar Pradesh led with 12,418, followed by Maharashtra at 8,595, Gujarat at 7,634, West Bengal at 7,630, and Tamil Nadu at 6,981.
As on 12 March 2026, the count rose marginally to stand at 89,248. Waste Pickers, added as beneficiaries in 2024-25, numbered 2,34,425 nationally, with 35,641 in Uttar Pradesh.
Of all the validated SSWs as of December last year, 73,864—or 82.88 percent— were enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or state health schemes.
The ministry told Parliament it does not maintain data on average income increase of sanitation workers following mechanisation. It further stated no measurable indicators have been identified to show enhanced efficiency or productivity due to mechanisation—a significant gap given NAMASTE’s stated rationale of ensuring safety and dignity through technology.
The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis received 842 complaints in 2025 on non-payment of wages, denial of safety equipment, and caste-based discrimination.
Delhi filed the most at 140, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 130 and Maharashtra at 95. On action taken against contractors or civic bodies violating mechanisation mandates, the ministry stated that data is not maintained centrally, as sanitation is a state subject under the Seventh Schedule.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Five years after Modi washed their feet, Kumbh sanitation workers’ fight for dignity continues