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Thursday, May 21, 2026
TopicManual Scavenging

Topic: Manual Scavenging

622 sanitation workers died in sewers, septic tanks across India in 9 yrs; 52 families got 0 compensation

Govt tabled this data in Lok Sabha Tuesday. UP recorded the highest fatalities at 86, followed by Maharashtra at 82, Tamil Nadu at 77, Haryana (76), Gujarat (73) & Delhi (62).

Kerala start-up is putting an end to manual scavenging—with a robot

Nearly 300 units of Bandicoot robots have been deployed in 19 states and three Union Territories across India – from Mohali to Maha Kumbh.

NHRC holds open house discussion on rights of manual scavengers

NHRC chairperson Justice (Retd) V. Ramasubramanian, expressed concern over the continuing deaths of sanitation workers despite legal provisions aimed at eradicating the practice.

SubscriberWrites: The Legality and illegality of human excreta

From sewage worker to climate leader, Rana Dagore’s journey showcases resilience, growth, and advocacy, raising questions about the legality of manual scavenging in modern India.

One-time cash aid of Rs 40,000 each, loans — what’s on Karnataka’s action plan for manual scavengers

Officials claim those identified as manual scavengers may not be practising & govt aid is to remove stigma. But experts say it is still prevalent due to poor infra in urban, rural areas.

No plan to amend manual scavenging law, govt says 6 months after announcing new bill

The new bill is still awaiting cabinet approval. It proposes to completely mechanise the process of cleaning sewers and septic tanks, among other changes.

Govt app to flag manual scavenging gets 900 uploads from public in 3 months, most from UP

'Swachhata Abhiyan' app launched in December will operate till May. Social justice ministry hopes to identify undocumented manual scavengers for rehabilitation.

As draft law awaits Cabinet approval, govt begins groundwork to mechanise sewer cleaning

Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, proposes to completely mechanise the process of cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

Why manual scavengers in India haven’t got their rights despite laws, judiciary intervention

The absence of a statutory obligation to provide sanitation services by state agencies creates a situation where the rights of manual scavengers hang in the air.

282 deaths in last 4 years: How Swachh Bharat Mission failed India’s manual scavengers

Number of manual scavengers in India had come down from nearly 8 lakh in 2003 to about 13,000 in 2013. But despite Swachh Bharat, this figure shot up to 42,303 in 2018.

On Camera

Hyderabad doesn’t need flyovers at the cost of trees. We don’t want to become like Delhi

The Supreme Court has stayed tree felling for H-CITI flyovers near KBR Park. We need more infrastructure, but we also need to keep Hyderabad a breathable and liveable city

Recovery of unclaimed shares, dividends now takes days, not yrs. EAC-PM credits investor watchdog revamp

PM-EAC paper says overhaul of Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority system sharply improved processing speed and reduced paperwork for investors.

Dragon’s armour: How Xi reshaped China’s military with theatre commands a decade before India’s push

While India yet to set in motion theaterisation of armed forces, China's military reforms combined China’s Army, Navy, Air Force and Rocket Force aimed at regional dominance & tight political control.

Pakistan is tactically brilliant, strategically disastrous. It’s primed for repeated blunders

Pakistan has ended up losing every war against India but that hasn’t prevented it from claiming victory. We will go over the evidence to anticipate what to expect next.