BENGALURU: The recent death of a 31-year-old labourer, Puttaswamy, who developed breathing issues while cleaning a manhole at Akshaya Nagar in RMC Yard police limits in Bengaluru, has exposed the ineffective implementation of the ban on manual scavenging in the state. While Bengalureans write codes for all the world’s ills, it is a shame that we cannot fix our societal flaws.
Systemic exclusion from identification of manual scavengers, lack of rehabilitation, institutional neglect, a non-functional ‘statutory body’ Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission, and lack of political will to implement the ban are some of the major reasons that experts point out for continuation of the inhuman practice.
Safai Karmachari Kavalu Samithi Karnataka (SKKS) is a community-based organisation advocating the rights and dignity of sanitation workers across Karnataka since 2010. SKKS state convener KB Obalesha laments that the manual scavenging practice, solely affecting the Dalit community, continues due to the state government’s failure to fulfil its constitutional and statutory obligations.
Obalesha, who is on a mission to end manual scavenging and uplift the sanitation worker community, says, “The Government of India enacted the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, and the more comprehensive Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, came up in 2013. Some of the key provisions of the 2013 Act include elimination of insanitary latrines and prohibition of their construction, ban on manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning practices, mandatory identification and rehabilitation of all manual scavengers, and prescribed safety equipment and procedures for sanitation workers.
Obalesha recalls that in Dr Balram Singh vs Union of India, the Supreme Court of India, through its judgment dated October 20, 2023, directed that in all sewer or septic tank deaths, a compensation of Rs 30 lakh must be paid by the State to the family of the deceased. “Seven manual scavenging deaths have occurred in Karnataka since the SC order in 2023, and the state government has paid no compensation to the families of the deceased. Partial compensation was paid in two cases by private entities,” Obalesha says.
Failure to identify manual scavengers
Obalesha argues that despite the 2013 Act’s clear definition and obligation to identify manual scavengers, the state government has grossly under-identified them. “While Census 2011 recorded over 1.88 million insanitary latrines, only 7,483 manual scavengers have been identified to date.
This indicates widespread exclusion,” Obalesha alleges, adding that the data excludes non-household latrines and newer latrines built under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
He says the Karnataka government has informed the Supreme Court that no manual scavengers were identified in the 2024 survey, in direct contradiction to ground realities and the court’s directives.
He argues that though the law mandates the timely rehabilitation of identified manual scavengers by providing them photo ID cards, one-time cash assistance of Rs 40,000, skill development, housing support and alternative employment opportunities, the Karnataka government has delayed the process. He says that while 2,142 manual scavengers were identified in 2018 and 2,413 in 2020, they were given cash assistance in 2024. With no further steps taken to provide livelihood training or support, many are forced to continue or return to manual scavenging.
Institutions inactive
Establishment of monitoring bodies is mandatory. Here, the Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission is the designated body. However, since 2018, no members have been appointed, preventing the Commission from achieving quorum. The commission has remained non-functional, stripping workers of a vital platform for redressal and accountability, says Obalesha.
He has consistently worked for immediate compensation of Rs 30lakh to families of the deceased, a fresh, transparent survey for the identification of all manual scavengers, time-bound and comprehensive rehabilitation measures for all identified persons, and immediate reconstitution of the Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission with full quorum and powers.
Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has a crucial role in implementing the ban. BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar says BWSSB has been strictly adhering to the rules. “We have deployed jetting machines across Bengaluru and have devoted staff to ensure that sewer lines and manholes are cleared. Gumboots and gloves are provided to sanitary workers. No one is allowed to manual scavenge and we have a strict monitoring mechanism.”
(With inputs from Velayudham/Kolar-Chikkaballapur, Divya Cutinho/Mangaluru, Prakash Samaga/Udupi, Raghu Koppar/Gadag, Mallikarjun Hiremath/Dharwad, Kiran Balannanavar/Ballari, Karthik KK/Mysuru, Arpitha I/Shivamogga, Ramakrishna Badseshi/Kalaburagi and BR Udaya Kumar/Hassan)
Real Numbers higher: Bezwada
Magsaysay awardee and national convener, Safai Karmachari Andolan, Bezwada Wilson told TNIE that the safai karmachari numbers in Karnataka may be higher than the 7,000-plus reported, and the figure could be from only Bengaluru city. “In June alone, 10 deaths happened across India due to manual scavenging. In 2025, till date, 72 people have died.
There are unreported cases and incidents in which FIRs have not been registered. Every year, there are 120 to 130 deaths. Our team has collected this data. I wonder why the Government of India is not able to stop this practice.
The government does revision of voters’ list every year and also doing a re-revision of voters in Bihar, but there no enumeration for manual scavengers,” Wilson said. He termed the Union government’s National Action for Mechanised Sanitary Ecosystem (Namaste) scheme anti-constitutional. He suggested that the government review its policies, start fresh enumeration of manual scavengers across India and come up with a special rehabilitation package.
How districts manage ban
Mysuru
Manual scavenging is a serious issue in Mysuru, despite bans and rehabilitation efforts. According to data from the district administration, there are a total of 1,381 manual scavengers, which highlights the persistence of the practice making the district the second on the chart after Bengaluru, in terms of identified manual scavengers.
Meanwhile, rehabilitation steps such as allocating two acres of land in Hebbal Colony for a community hall, issuing title deeds in Chilkunda village, and allocating funds and housing are under way, though many beneficiaries still await formal transfer of land and facilities.
However, members of the Mysuru District Arundathiyar Association, on condition of anonymity, said that despite these measures, manual scavenging persists. One of them attributed this to incomplete underground drainage coverage, weak enforcement of existing laws by officials and also hunger among labourers to get extra money for livelihood by doing these jobs.
Ballari
In the past three years, no manual scavenging cases have been reported in undivided Ballari district. The City Municipal Corporation and local authorities have held several awareness programmes, and modern equipment used by the corporation limits manual scavenging. In 2022, when an incident was reported in Siruguppa, police took action against the two people who enlisted labourers for manual scavenging.
Gadag
Manual scavenging in Gadag district has come down significantly, but several incidents are still going unnoticed. The last manual scavenging incident in Gadag was on October 23, 2024. A private lodge owner near Gadag bus stand allowed some labourers to clean the toilet’s outer portion without providing safety equipment. Some people opposed this incident, and a social activist and manual scavenging district coordinator complained to the State Safai Karmachari Commission.
Ramesh Kolur, Gadag district’s Manual Scavenging Survey Committee coordinator, says, “We have been creating awareness about manual scavenging and such incidents are happening again and again but are going unnoticed. We are now aiming to make Gadag Zero Manual Scavenging cases district soon. We are also creating legal awareness about the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, and there is a need for public cooperation on this. We have also told municipal council workers that it is their right to ask for safety equipment.”
Udupi
No cases of manual scavenging have been reported in the past seven years, with the last incident reported on April 7, 2018. A labourer from the Dalit community had suffocated to death while cleaning a manhole in M-Kodi in Kasaba village, Kundapur taluk of Udupi district.
Udupi DC Swaroopa TK told TNIE there were no incidents of manual scavenging in the district in recent years. Verifying data, she said no case was registered by any authorities in this regard. Udupi CMC Commissioner Mahantesh Hangaragi told TNIE that no cases of manual scavenging were reported in the city limits.
Dharwad
Dharwad relatively remains free of manual scavenging. Sucking machines and jets are being used to clean manholes. Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) Commissioner Rudresh Gali said there are strict instructions, no manual scavenging is done under any condition, and that machines are deployed.
“We have instructed contractors and civic workers not to get into manual scavenging. We have held workshops for civic workers. In the past few years, we have not come across any such complaint. Even while using the machines, chemicals and gloves are a must, and this will be ensured by the contractor and health inspectors of the area,” says Gali.
Mangaluru
SP Anand, president, Pourakarmikas Association, says that after repeated complaints to the authorities, there is no manual scavenging in the city in the last three years. “There were complaints from pourakarmikas that they were made to enter manholes whenever they were choked or overflowing. We complained to the Mangaluru City Corporation officials three years ago, and now, machinery is being used to do the works at present.”
Anand, however, alleged that some private companies, including hotels, are using migrant workers for work, and urged the authorities to look into it.
Shivamogga
The district has not reported any manual scavenging incident in the recent past. Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegade says the district administration is on high alert to prevent manual scavenging. Any manual scavenger who is found will be rehabilitated, he adds.
Shivamogga City Corporation Commissioner Mayanna Gowda says the last instance of manual scavenging was reported in 2013. The worker was rehabilitated and is now living in Channapatna.
Kalaburagi
Commissioner of Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike Shinde Avinash Sanjeevan says they have been able to implement the ban effectively. Earlier, there were 52 manual scavengers in Kalaburagi city, and they have been rehabilitated to operate jetting-cum-sucking machines, jetting machines, desilting machines and power rodding equipment, says Sanjeevan.
Social activists, however, say there were a few labourers working in remote areas of the city, and their work has escaped the notice of officials.
Kolar-Chikkaballapur
Authorities claim to have contained the practice. Quarterly meetings with officials are held to keep a check on the practice, said Kolar Deputy Commissioner Dr MR Ravi and Chikkaballapur Deputy Commissioner PN Ravindra. Ravi said all municipality commissioners and chief officers, secretaries in gram panchayats have been told to follow government guidelines. Ravindra said no incident has been reported in any parts of Chikkaballapur.
Hassan
Relatively free of the practice in recent years, with urban and rural local bodies spreading awareness about the ban on manual scavenging. Hassan City Corporation HCC, the city municipality of Arasikere and town municipalities of Channarayapatna, Sakleshpur and Holenarasipur have full-fledged sucking machines to lift and clear manholes. Private sucking machines are also operating in rural areas in the district.
Nagaraj Hettur, president of District Pourakarmikara Sangha, said the cleaning of drainage slush is similar to manual scavenging. Some workers tried to clear a manhole when residents forced them, and there was an incident of manual scavenging in a rural area, as residents offered cash and also forced them to do the job.
According to Krishnamurthy, commissioner of Hassan City Corporation, the corporation has warned residents not to force sanitation workers to clear soakpits or manhole. Labourers have been provided safety kits, including shoes and gloves, while clearing drains and lifting decomposed garbage mixed with UGD water, he added.