GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
~ LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1520
TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2026
SEWER AND SEPTIC TANK CLEANING WORK
1520. SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAT:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is fact that there are several deaths of the workers during cleaning of drainage
and other underground tanks, if...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT ~ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1520 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2026 SEWER AND SEPTIC TANK CLEANING WORK
1520. SHRI ANIL YESHWANT DESAT:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is fact that there are several deaths of the workers during cleaning of drainage and other underground tanks, if so, the number of such deaths during the last three years — State-wise; and
(b) the number of urban local bodies, that were found using manual sewer cleaning without mechanical equipment as of 2025 steps taken under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, to prosecute responsible officials, number of FIRs registered and convictions secured under the Act during the last three years, State-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)
(a) & (b): Deaths have occurred in States/UTs during hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks due to non-observance of prescribed safety precautions. As reported by the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK), State-wise number of sanitation workers who lost their lives due to hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks and FIR lodged in concerned States/UTs during last three years, is at Annexure. Sanitation is a State subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. No data regarding number of Urban Local Bodies that were found using manual sewer cleaning without mechanical equipment is maintained centrally.Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) and (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1520 for answer on 28.07.2026 regarding Sewer and Septic Tank Cleaning Work.
State-wise number of sanitation workers who lost their lives due to hazardous cleaning of
sewer and septic tanks and FIR lodged during last three years is as under: - S. No. Name of States/UTs Number of deaths Number of FIRs lodged 1 Bihar 2 - 2 Delhi 12 12 3 Goa ] 4 Gujarat 13 3 5 Haryana 14 14 6 Jharkhand i - 7 Karnataka 5 - 8 Madhya Pradesh 6 5 9 Maharashtra 29 18 10 Punjab 10 9 11 Rajasthan 20 20 12 Tamil Nadu 21 8 13 Telangana 4 - 14 Uttar Pradesh 21 13 15 West Bengal 7 7 Total 166 110 ok ok ok ok