NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
Labour
SC/ST/OBC
Politics
India

88 Sanitation Workers Died in 3 years, Says Minister, Activists Allege Gross Underestimation

According to data collected by National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, one safai karamchari had died every five days between January, 2017 and September, 2018.
Ditsa Bhattacharya
04 Jul 2019
88 Sanitation Workers Died in 3 years

Image for representational use only.Image Courtesy : Planet Custodian

Eighty-eight people have died in the last three years while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across the country, Ramdas Athawale, minister of state for social justice and empowerment, said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, July 3. According to the data presented by him, Delhi, where 18 people have died, registered maximum number of deaths.

However, the data presented by the minister does not match the data collated by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), the statutory body that was set up by an act of Parliament for the welfare of the sanitation workers. According to the numbers released by NCSK in September, 2018, 123 people employed in hazardous forms of manual scavenging had lost their lives while at work since January 2017 and one safai karamchari had died every five days between January, 2017 and September, 2018.

As reported by The Indian Express, the officials involved in the process of collating the data for NCSK had admitted that the number of death could be a gross under-estimation, as no official data was available for these deaths. The data collected by the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) for the same period showed that more than 180 manual scavengers had died while at work. The data obtained by SKA for the year 2017-2018 also showed that the average age of deceased safai karamcharis was around 32 years, indicating that most families lost their sole breadwinner.

In the year when Modi government came to power at the Centre for the first time in 2014, they allocated only Rs 47 crore for rehabilitating manual scavengers in the fiscal year 2014-2015, which was only 1% of the total funds allocated by the previous UPA-II government. In the following years, the NDA government spent Rs 10.01 crore (2015-2016), Rs 1 crore (2016-2017) and Rs 5 crore (2017-2018) for the welfare of manual scavengers. The budget for the previous year, which ended on March 2019 had earmarked Rs 70 crore, according to the revised estimates for 2018-19. In the interim budget of 2019, only Rs 30 crore had been set aside for the rehabilitation of manual scavengers. Ironically, this was the same government that spent more than Rs 18,000 crore every year on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

The National Safai Karamchari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), which comes under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, conducted a survey between March and September 2018. Out of over 700 districts, the survey was carried out only in 163 districts. Even among these 163 districts, complete information was gathered from only about 100 districts. The results of the official survey hence turned out to be a gross underestimation of the actual conditions. According to the survey, 20,596 people were identified as manual scavengers, while in a survey conducted in 2013, the number of scavengers was 13,368. The NSKFDC has not officially disclosed yet how many people actually registered themselves as manual scavengers during the survey.

Bezwada Wilson, national convener of SKA told NewsClick, “The central government had claimed that they will end manual scavenging by the end of 2019, but even now, the sanitation workers are being forced to go into sewers and septic tanks without any safety gears. This proves that they do not have any political will to work for our welfare.”

Also read: Misplaced Priorities of BJP and Modi, Blind Eye to Manual Scavenging Deaths

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Manual Scavengers
Sanitation Workers
Manual Scavenging
Manual Scavenging deaths
Safai Karamchari Andolan
SKA
Bezwada Wilson
Related Stories
meerut sanitation workers.

Meerut: Sanitation Worker Suffers Heart Attack after Receiving Termination Notice

Tata Trusts video

The Other Video: Tata Trusts Gets Notice Over Manual Scavenging

Hathras Horror: Valmiki Community Members Clash with Police in Agra

Hathras Horror: Valmiki Community Members Clash with Police in Agra

chennai sanitation workers

Chennai: GCC Reappointing Sanitation Workers who Switch over to the BMS

Chennai Corporation Terminates 291 Sanitation Workers, Suspends Union Office Bearers for Demanding Fair Wages

Chennai Corporation Terminates 291 Sanitation Workers, Suspends Union Office Bearers for Demanding Fair Wages

Manual Scavenging Bill

New Manual Scavenging Bill Stresses on Technology, Ignores Caste

TN this Week: COVID-19 Cases to Breach 5 Lakh Mark, Sanitation Workers and BHEL Employees Hold Protest

TN this Week: COVID-19 Cases to Breach 5 Lakh Mark, Sanitation Workers and BHEL Employees Hold Protest

Patna Municipal Corporation daily wage sanitation workers on indefinite strike

Ahead of Bihar Polls, Nearly 8,000 Sanitation Daily Wagers in Patna go on Indefinite Strike

TN This Week

TN This Week: Caste Fanatics Prevent Dalit Panchayat President from Hoisting National Flag, Student Commits Suicide Fearing NEET

TN This Week

TN This Week: 75 Youth Organsations Oppose EIA, Heavy Rainfall in Nilgiris District, Demand for Focussed Testing to Contain COVID-19 Spread

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

Sruti MD

TN This Week: ‘Unwanted’ Farm Laws Set on Fire; Crop Damage Dampens Harvest Festival

16 January 2021
Tamil Nadu celebrated the harvest festival Pongal this week. Rahul Gandhi attended the bull-taming sport ‘Jallikattu‘ event in Madurai.
Sruti M.D.

TN: Is the AIADMK Govt. Diluting COVID-19 Protocols for Electoral Gains?

16 January 2021
With the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections fast approaching, the ruling AIADMK government has resorted to a spree o
Neelambaran A

Chennai Corporation: Over 700 Sanitation Workers Terminated, Another 2,200 Face Threat

13 January 2021
After being showered with words of praise for their work during the pandemic, the sanitation workers in Chennai are facing the axe in their jobs.

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • XI jinping.

    Pandemic Far from Over, but Winter Can’t Stop Spring: Xi Jinping

  • Telangana: Turmeric Farmers Demand BJP MP Arvind’s Resignation

    Telangana: Turmeric Farmers Demand BJP MP Arvind’s Resignation

  • COVID-19: Latest Sero Survey Hints Delhi Could be Heading Toward ‘Herd Immunity'

    COVID-19: Latest Sero Survey Hints Delhi Could be Heading Toward ‘Herd Immunity'

  • Militant Activities Increasing in J&K Border Districts with Higher Recovery of Arms, Say Security Officials

    Militant Activities Increasing in J&K Border Districts with Higher Recovery of Arms, Say Security Officials

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about