Editorial: End the scourge of manual cleanup

The harsh reality is that over 95% of India’s 1.3 million artisanal waste pickers are women

What is not often discussed in the media is that the inhumane and abhorrent practice of manual waste picking is a stain on any civilized society. The existence of this profession is a matter of collective shame for India. Although this inhumane form of sanitation work was banned a decade ago, it persists across the country, resulting in the deaths of workers engaged in sewer pipe repair and cleaning without taking critical safety precautions. In addition to social stigma and isolation, they face serious health hazards. The recent death of four workers cleaning jars at a meat factory in Punjab has once again highlighted the unfortunate fact that people are still forced to work in dangerous conditions without protective gear and oxygen – in violation of norms. The practice persists despite a 2013 manual sweeping law that prohibits the deployment of personnel for such tasks and makes it a punishable offence. The bill also includes manual cleaning of sewers, septic tanks, gutters and manholes under the definition of “manual cleaning.” That’s because of the high job-death rate of artisanal waste pickers and other cleaners — all of whom belong to the impoverished lower castes. According to official figures, between 2017-2022, manual waste picking resulted in 376 deaths. To add insult to injury, families of ill-fated victims are often forced to run around in exchange for promised compensation.

Human waste picking is a degrading profession that requires technically appropriate, economically driven, socially responsible and sensitive solutions. Unfortunately, this work is associated with certain castes and communities, which leads to social discrimination and stigma against those who practice manual waste picking. Last year, the government announced that waste picking would be fully mechanized. For the safety of sewer workers, it developed the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystems (NAMASTE). The project, which envisions deploying highly trained workers to use machines to carry out dangerous cleaning jobs, had to be expedited. Right now, the harsh reality is that more than 95 percent of India’s 1.3 million artisanal waste pickers are women. Despite such overwhelming numbers and ample evidence that such work directly leads to serious health consequences, successive governments have failed to effectively implement existing laws and programs. As artisan scavengers do not use protective gear and work in extremely unsanitary conditions, they are relentlessly exposed to harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane, often leading to respiratory diseases as well as cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases. They also suffer from skin conditions such as psoriasis. Carbon monoxide poisoning, diarrhea, nausea and tuberculosis are some of the other health problems artisanal waste pickers face. According to Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA), the average lifespan of most female artisan scavengers is only 40-45 years due to various health problems.