New Delhi: At least 125 deaths linked to sanitation work and hazardous confined-space activities were reported across India between January and October this year, according to a report by the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM).
The organisation documented deaths involving sanitation work, sewer and septic-tank cleaning, sewage-treatment infrastructure, confined-space entry and maintenance and repair activities. According to the report, such fatalities were reported at factories, industrial units, residential societies, construction sites, sewage-treatment plants and other public and private infrastructure.
DASAM attributed the recurring deaths largely to inadequate safety measures and the absence of protective equipment. July recorded the highest number of deaths at 28, followed by March with 25 and June with 20. The report recorded one death in February and nine in September.
Bihar recorded the highest number of deaths at 14, followed by Tamil Nadu with 12, Haryana with 11 and Uttar Pradesh with 10. Kerala recorded one death during the period covered by the report.
Rescue Attempts Also Turn Fatal
The report highlighted what it described as a recurring “rescue-chain” pattern in confined-space accidents. In such incidents, a worker who becomes unconscious after inhaling toxic gases is followed into the hazardous area by another worker attempting a rescue, often without protective equipment.
In one incident cited by DASAM, a sanitation worker identified as Karan entered a sewage chamber at Indore’s Choithram Sabji Mandi in March and reportedly lost consciousness after exposure to toxic gases. Another worker, Ajay, entered the chamber to rescue him and was also overcome by the toxic atmosphere. Both died.
Another incident in Raipur involved three workers who reportedly died after entering a 20-foot-deep septic tank during cleaning work at a private hospital. The report identified them as Anmol Manjhi, 25, Govind Sendre, 35, and Satyam Kumar, 22. A fourth worker was injured but survived.
DASAM also documented a similar incident in Gujarat involving several people who entered a septic tank in succession after one worker became unconscious because of low oxygen levels and toxic gases. Three people died and another was admitted to an intensive care unit.
According to the report, at least 16 deaths across Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu occurred in such rescue attempts.
DASAM said hazardous confined-space work should not begin without a rescue plan, trained personnel and appropriate retrieval equipment. It recommended that workers should not be sent into a dangerous atmosphere to rescue colleagues without adequate protection.
Classification of Sanitation Deaths
The report also raised concerns over how deaths involving hazardous sanitation work are officially classified.
DASAM argued that fatalities may not always be recorded as manual-scavenging deaths because workers are often officially classified according to their regular occupation or the establishment where they are employed.
The organisation said authorities should consider the actual task being performed and the hazardous environment in which a worker died when classifying such fatalities.
The report also highlighted the social background of victims, stating that the deaths it documented involved Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim workers. It argued that contract-based employment can make workers more vulnerable by weakening accountability and limiting access to written contracts, training, insurance, occupational health protection and social security.
Calls for Mechanisation and Accountability
DASAM proposed 18 measures to reduce sanitation-related fatalities, including independent and time-bound investigations into every death involving hazardous confined-space entry.
Among its recommendations are greater mechanisation of sewer and septic-tank cleaning wherever technically possible, nationwide sanitation-safety audits, mandatory oxygen and toxic-gas testing before confined-space entry and trained rescue teams equipped for emergencies.
The organisation also called for criminal accountability for employers, contractors, property owners and responsible officials where violations are established.
DASAM has sought a minimum compensation of Rs 30 lakh for affected families, along with government employment and rehabilitation for eligible dependants. It also recommended housing, pensions, education, healthcare and livelihood assistance for families affected by such deaths.
Other recommendations include monitoring committees, action against repeat violators, cancellation or blacklisting of contracts where warranted and creation of a transparent national database covering sanitation-related deaths and injuries.
