BENGALURU: Bengaluru Rural police arrested Mayur, owner of Asha Sweets, for the death of two men allegedly engaged in manual scavenging at the company’s factory in Sompura Industrial Area in Bengaluru Rural district. This brings the number of arrests to three, including the sub-contractor and site in charge.
Investigations revealed that the company, which has about 18 outlets in the city, allegedly did not adhere to clearances and regulations from various departments, including the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.
The incident is a reminder of the dangers of manual scavenging, which continues to claim lives and inflict trauma. The Karnataka government has also failed to conduct a mandatory survey that was to start in March 2024 and conclude by August 2024.
The case also highlights the authorities’ failure to enforce the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. It is registered under Sections 7 and 9 of the Act, apart from BNS Section 105 -- culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Section 7 prohibits employing individuals as manual scavengers, while Section 9 mandates local authorities to provide alternative livelihoods and enforce prohibition.
A senior official with Karnataka State Commission for Safai Karamcharis told TNIE that officials were directed to identify manual scavengers in each district, and the delay in starting the survey is due to the ongoing rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
Advocate Basavaraj said failure to comply with these provisions exposes workers to exploitation and health risks. While there are thousands of registered manual scavengers, there are many others doing the same work without officially being employed, or involved in cleaning sewage treatment plants (STPs).
Bengaluru Rural SP CK Baba said such incidents are a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s directions that manual cleaning of STPs is strictly prohibited, with mechanised processes to ensure worker safety. “We have registered a case of culpable homicide and invoked sections of the Manual Scavenging Act. Factories and production facilities must prioritise safe practices. Mechanisation must be implemented to ensure the safety and dignity of workers, and prevent such tragedies,” he said.
Advocate Saba said the apex court had ruled that no human should be employed to manually clean sewers or septic tanks. Mechanised equipment must be used, such as robotic cleaning devices and vacuum trucks to handle waste without human intervention.
The latest survey by the State Commission for Safai Karamcharis shows Karnataka has 7,483 manual scavengers, with 1,625 registered under BBMP.