**Executive Summary:**
This document presents the Indian government's response to a parliamentary question regarding the unavailability of safety gear for sanitation workers, specifically concerning sewer-related deaths in 2022 and 2023. It outlines the government's acknowledgement of the issue, explanations for the neglect, and the steps taken to enforce safety protocols, including the implementation of the NAMASTE Scheme and advisories issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The response was slated to be delivered on August 12, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Issue Acknowledgement:**
* A significant number of sewer-related deaths in 2022 and 2023 involved workers without safety gear or PPE kits.
* This lack of safety measures often occurs because workers are engaged by private individuals through the unorganized sector.
* **Government Response and Initiatives:**
* Sanitation is a State Subject under the Constitution of India.
* The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013 (MS Rules, 2013) mandate employers to provide safety gear and ensure safety precautions.
* The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, launched the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme in 2023-24.
* NAMASTE Scheme Objectives:
* Ensure the safety and dignity of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs).
* Empower SSWs socially and economically.
* NAMASTE Scheme Provisions:
* Provision of PPE Kits.
* ABPMJAY cards to SSWs.
* Safety devices to Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs).
* Occupation safety training to sewer and septic tank workers.
* Upfront Capital Subsidy for sanitation-related machinery.
* Workshops on prevention of hazardous cleaning.
* **Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Initiatives:**
* Issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
* Issued advisory for technical and managerial interventions through Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSU).
* Developed a Ready Reckoner for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
* Organizing Safaimitra Suraksha Shivirs nationwide through ULBs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders:** Sanitation Workers (Sewer and Septic Tank Workers - SSWs)
* Impact: Increased safety through the provision of PPE kits, safety devices, and occupational safety training. Potential for social and economic empowerment through the NAMASTE scheme and access to ABPMJAY cards.
* Action Required: Participate in training programs and utilize provided safety equipment.
**Stakeholders:** Employers (including private individuals and unorganized sector entities)
* Impact: Mandated to provide safety gear and ensure safety precautions as per MS Rules, 2013. Potential for increased costs associated with providing safety equipment and training.
* Action Required: Comply with MS Rules, 2013, by providing necessary safety gear and ensuring safety protocols are followed.
**Stakeholders:** Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)
* Impact: Responsible for implementing the NAMASTE scheme and organizing Safaimitra Suraksha Shivirs.
* Action Required: Implement the NAMASTE scheme effectively, utilize the Ready Reckoner, and organize health checkups and linkage to social welfare schemes through Safaimitra Suraksha Shivirs.
**Stakeholders:** State Governments
* Impact: Sanitation is a state subject, necessitating the enforcement of safety measures and implementation of central government schemes.
* Action Required: Enforce safety regulations, implement NAMASTE scheme, and collaborate with central ministries to ensure the safety and dignity of sanitation workers.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment: The Indian government ministry responsible for social justice and empowerment.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Indian Parliament, where the question was raised.
Ramdas Athawale: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.
Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013: Indian legislation mandating safety gear and precautions for sanitation workers.
National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme: A scheme launched by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in convergence with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for mechanised sanitation.
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Local governing bodies in urban areas responsible for implementing the NAMASTE scheme.
ABPMJAY: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a health insurance scheme
Safaimitra Suraksha Shivirs: Nationwide camps organized through ULBs to provide health checkups and linkage to social welfare schemes for sanitation workers.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3793
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.08.2025
UNAVAILABILITY OF SAFETY GEAR TO SANITATION WORKERS
3793. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANTI:
Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that in 49 out of 54 sewer-related deaths in 2022 and 2023, the deceased
workers were not provided any safety gear or PPE kits;
(b) if so, the reasons for such gross neglect of mandatory safety measures; and
(c) the steps taken to ensure strict enforcement of safety protocols by all agencies involved in
sewer and septic tank cleaning, State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
(SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE)
(a) & (6): Audit reported that majority of the sanitation workers were engaged by the private
individuals through unorganized sector without the availability of appropriate protective gears.
(c): Sanitation is a State Subject under VII" scheduled of the Constitution of India.
As per “Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Rules, 2013
(MS Rules, 2013)” it is mandatory for the employer to provide the safety gear, devices and
ensure safety precautions as prescribed in the Rules.
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in convergence with Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs has launched the “National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem
(NAMASTE)” Scheme in 2023-24 for implementation in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the
country. The objective is to ensure safety and dignity of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSWs)
and empower them socially and economically.
The scheme envisages provision of :-
e PPE Kits, AB-PMJAY cards to SSWs and Safety devices to Emergency Response
Sanitation Units (ERSUs). The State-wise details are at Annexure.
e Occupation safety training to sewer and septic tank workers.
¢ Upfront Capital Subsidy for sanitation related machinery to sanitation workers and their
groups of maximum five persons.
¢ Organising Workshops on prevention of hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks.In addition, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has also issued the following advisory for
safe cleaning of sewer and septic tanks:-
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for cleaning of Sewer or Septic tank.
il. Advisory for technical and managerial interventions for ensuring safety during sewer and
septic tank cleaning through Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU).
iil. Ready Reckoner for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for ensuring safety of sanitation
workers.
iv. Organising Safaimitra Suraksha Shivirs nationwide through ULBs to provide health
checkups and linkage to social welfare schemes.Annexure
Annexure referred in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3793 for
answer on 12.08.2025 regarding Unavailability of Safety Gear to Sanitation Workers.
S.No. State PPE kits Safety devices Number of Beneficiaries
Issued Issued to ERSUs | covered under AB-PMJAY
and State Health Scheme
Andaman And
1 Nicobar 40 1 48
2 Andhra Pradesh 2124 25 3479
3 Arunachal Pradesh 86 2 56
4 | Assam 308 31 299
5 Bihar 2626 22 2621
6 | Chandigarh 252 1 232
7 | Chhattisgarh 634 21 1213
Daman Diu & Dadra
8 Nagar Haveli 116 0 97
9 | Delhi 135 0 1046
10 | Goa 93 2 166
11__| Gujarat 4295 17 2374
12 | Haryana 2193 0 1790
13 _| Himachal Pradesh 180 0 301
14 | Jammu & Kashmir 700 2 566
15 | Jharkhand 707 11 679
16 | Karnataka 667 19 3856
17 | Kerala 1589 14 1322
18 | Ladakh 21 2 17
19 | Lakshadweep 86 0 81
20 | Madhya Pradesh 1908 24 1981
21 | Maharashtra 7135 32 3604
22 | Manipur 110 1 162
24 | Meghalaya 0 0 78
23 | Mizoram 140 0 43
25 | Nagaland 10 4 80
26 | Odisha 0 0 0
27 | Puducherry 242 2 207
28 | Punjab 4407 11 3258
29 | Rajasthan 3299 21 1384
30 | Sikkim 95 5 95
31 | Tamil Nadu 0 0 6975
32 | Telangana 1198 15 2306
33 _| Tripura 110 8 235
34 | Uttar Pradesh 10092 55 7356
35 | Uttarakhand 119 6 503
36 | West Bengal 154 0 7590
Total 45871 354 56100
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