SAFETY AND WELFARE OF SANITATION WORKERS

**Executive Summary** This report details government initiatives under the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme, launched in 2023-24, to ensure the safety and dignity of Sewer and Septic tank Workers (SSWs). Following 317 reported fatalities between 2021 and 2025, the ministry has profiled 89,248 workers to provide PPE, training, and capital subsidies for mechanization. Key objectives include the total eradication of hazardous manual cleaning through health insurance coverage and integrated infrastructure under Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0. **Key Points / Main Content** **Worker Identification and Safety Statistics** * 89,248 SSWs have been profiled and validated under the NAMASTE scheme. * The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) reported 317 fatalities due to hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks between 2021 and 2025. **Safety and Training Measures** * Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to all identified SSWs. * Mandatory occupational safety training and specialized workshops on the prevention of hazardous cleaning. * Distribution of safety devices to Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) in larger Urban Local Bodies. **PPE Kit Specifications** * Each kit includes a safety helmet with ratchet, safety eyewear, N95 particulate respiratory mask, and a face mask with a multipurpose filter cartridge. * Additional gear consists of nitrile gloves, safety shoes, and a full body suit. **Mechanization and Financial Support** * Upfront capital subsidies are provided for sanitation-related machinery to individual workers, groups of up to five persons, and Private Sanitation Service Operators (PSSOs). * The Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 includes a Used Water Management (UWM) component specifically to sustain the elimination of manual cleaning through mechanization. **Health and Welfare Benefits** * SSWs are facilitated for coverage under the Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). * To date, 75,710 SSWs have been covered under PM-JAY, State Health Schemes, and the NAMASTE scheme. **Impact Analysis** **Sewer and Septic tank Workers (SSWs)** **Impact** Workers receive enhanced physical protection through PPE, specialized safety training, and financial pathways to transition from manual labor to mechanized service ownership. They also gain access to health insurance benefits. **Action Required** Workers must participate in the profiling and validation process and attend mandatory occupational safety workshops. **Private Sanitation Service Operators (PSSOs)** **Impact** Operators are incentivized to modernize their operations through upfront capital subsidies for sanitation machinery. **Action Required** Operators must shift from manual cleaning methods to mechanized solutions using the provided subsidies. **Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)** **Impact** Larger ULBs are equipped with safety devices for Emergency Response Sanitation Units to manage hazardous cleaning scenarios safely. **Action Required** ULBs must implement Used Water Management objectives under SBM-U 2.0 to ensure the sustained elimination of manual sewer entry.

Key Entities Referenced