Q&A
‘Cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is not just a sanitation issue but also a human rights issue’
Manual scavenging in India is illegal. Yet, reports on deaths caused by it appear with depressing regularity. Bezwada Wilson, founder of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), has battled over 25 years to end this practice. A winner of the Ramon Magsaysay award, he tells Avijit Ghosh why this degrading practice continues to be India’s shame:
How many sewage line and septic tank cleaners have died since January 1, 2017, as per your records?
We have documented 221 such deaths. Of them, 132 died between January 1 and December 31, 2017, and 89 this year. The number provided by National Safai Karamchari Commission – 123 during the same period – is lower because they mostly rely on newspaper clippings. We have 6,800 volunteers in 500 districts.
What keeps causing such deaths?
Sewer lines and septic tanks are like death traps. The 2014 Supreme Court judgment prohibits anyone from working in sewers and septic tanks. It is permitted, as per central government rules, only in case of emergency after putting on adequate safety gear. It is stipulated that the worker must use facemask, goggles, gumshoes, gloves, safety belt, etc, and that he should perform his task in the presence of a senior official. An ambulance should be there on the spot. None of these precautions were followed before the west Delhi tragedy earlier this month. Several similar cases have happened in the national capital this year. Delhi has accounted for 21 such deaths since January 1, 2017. These are not deaths but killings.
What is the attitude of officials?
That’s the saddest part. Whenever such incidents happen, neither the state nor the central government or the local bodies are willing to take responsibility. The same pattern repeats itself every time. On September 25, we have organised a protest against the killings in sewers at Jantar Mantar. There must be a timebound action plan to end what’s an illegal practice.
How do we stop these deaths that are caused by sheer callousness?
We must mechanise sewage cleaning. Our sewer systems vary from one city to another. Some are over 150 years old. Many small towns and older parts of metropolitan India have complex sewer networks that run below narrow lanes. We need to use mini-sucker machines and robotic equipment. They are available in India. And we need proper sewage treatment plants to be set up in a diversified manner. Even after 70 years of Independence, we have not moved one inch in mechanising our sewers. We must remember that cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is not just a sanitation issue but also a human rights issue.
How difficult is collating data and documenting these deaths?
We started documenting the deaths after the historic Supreme Court judgment in 2014 which, among other things, also said that the family/dependent of every victim since 1993 must be given Rs 10 lakh. We have gathered evidence to show that at least 1,790 deaths occurred over the past two decades. And the number is still increasing. Documenting evidence of a death that might have occurred years ago is a complex process. Our volunteers do fieldwork. Sometimes they come to know of a death which might have occurred 20 or 25 years ago. Sometimes people call us. Which is why we need to create more awareness.
We are looking only into reported cases; the number of unreported cases would be higher.
Till 2014, we were primarily trying to get compensation for the victims. But then we asked ourselves, how do we prevent deaths? In 2015-16, we carried out a Bhim Yatra across the country over 125 days which raised awareness on the issue. Now people are asking: who is accountable for these deaths? The truth is we are not trying to find solutions on how to clean our drains and look for human intervention to help us out. Which is why the most marginalised and oppressed are pushed into doing this kind of work and asked to go inside the drains.
How difficult is it to get Rs 10 lakh cash as decreed by the Supreme Court for each of those dead?
You have to die another 10 times to get Rs 10 lakh. You need to furnish at least four to five documents – FIR, death certificate, postmortem reports, identity proof, newspaper clippings – to satisfy the officials. Putting them all together is not easy for the family or relatives who belong to the lowest strata. We collect these things that government officials ask for before accepting an application for compensation. Even then not everyone gets Rs 10 lakh. In some cases, you get Rs 3 lakh, in other cases Rs 6 lakh. Only 169 out of 1,790 have got compensation, as per our records.
The 2014 SC judgment lays out a roadmap for rehabilitation of manual scavengers. What’s the progress on the issue?
Nothing has happened on that front.
‘Cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is not just a sanitation issue but also a human rights issue’
Manual scavenging in India is illegal. Yet, reports on deaths caused by it appear with depressing regularity. Bezwada Wilson, founder of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), has battled over 25 years to end this practice. A winner of the Ramon Magsaysay award, he tells Avijit Ghosh why this degrading practice continues to be India’s shame:
How many sewage line and septic tank cleaners have died since January 1, 2017, as per your records?
We have documented 221 such deaths. Of them, 132 died between January 1 and December 31, 2017, and 89 this year. The number provided by National Safai Karamchari Commission – 123 during the same period – is lower because they mostly rely on newspaper clippings. We have 6,800 volunteers in 500 districts.
What keeps causing such deaths?
Sewer lines and septic tanks are like death traps. The 2014 Supreme Court judgment prohibits anyone from working in sewers and septic tanks. It is permitted, as per central government rules, only in case of emergency after putting on adequate safety gear. It is stipulated that the worker must use facemask, goggles, gumshoes, gloves, safety belt, etc, and that he should perform his task in the presence of a senior official. An ambulance should be there on the spot. None of these precautions were followed before the west Delhi tragedy earlier this month. Several similar cases have happened in the national capital this year. Delhi has accounted for 21 such deaths since January 1, 2017. These are not deaths but killings.
What is the attitude of officials?
That’s the saddest part. Whenever such incidents happen, neither the state nor the central government or the local bodies are willing to take responsibility. The same pattern repeats itself every time. On September 25, we have organised a protest against the killings in sewers at Jantar Mantar. There must be a timebound action plan to end what’s an illegal practice.
How do we stop these deaths that are caused by sheer callousness?
We must mechanise sewage cleaning. Our sewer systems vary from one city to another. Some are over 150 years old. Many small towns and older parts of metropolitan India have complex sewer networks that run below narrow lanes. We need to use mini-sucker machines and robotic equipment. They are available in India. And we need proper sewage treatment plants to be set up in a diversified manner. Even after 70 years of Independence, we have not moved one inch in mechanising our sewers. We must remember that cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is not just a sanitation issue but also a human rights issue.
How difficult is collating data and documenting these deaths?
We started documenting the deaths after the historic Supreme Court judgment in 2014 which, among other things, also said that the family/dependent of every victim since 1993 must be given Rs 10 lakh. We have gathered evidence to show that at least 1,790 deaths occurred over the past two decades. And the number is still increasing. Documenting evidence of a death that might have occurred years ago is a complex process. Our volunteers do fieldwork. Sometimes they come to know of a death which might have occurred 20 or 25 years ago. Sometimes people call us. Which is why we need to create more awareness.
We are looking only into reported cases; the number of unreported cases would be higher.
Till 2014, we were primarily trying to get compensation for the victims. But then we asked ourselves, how do we prevent deaths? In 2015-16, we carried out a Bhim Yatra across the country over 125 days which raised awareness on the issue. Now people are asking: who is accountable for these deaths? The truth is we are not trying to find solutions on how to clean our drains and look for human intervention to help us out. Which is why the most marginalised and oppressed are pushed into doing this kind of work and asked to go inside the drains.
How difficult is it to get Rs 10 lakh cash as decreed by the Supreme Court for each of those dead?
You have to die another 10 times to get Rs 10 lakh. You need to furnish at least four to five documents – FIR, death certificate, postmortem reports, identity proof, newspaper clippings – to satisfy the officials. Putting them all together is not easy for the family or relatives who belong to the lowest strata. We collect these things that government officials ask for before accepting an application for compensation. Even then not everyone gets Rs 10 lakh. In some cases, you get Rs 3 lakh, in other cases Rs 6 lakh. Only 169 out of 1,790 have got compensation, as per our records.
The 2014 SC judgment lays out a roadmap for rehabilitation of manual scavengers. What’s the progress on the issue?
Nothing has happened on that front.
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