"No Manual Scavengers In India?" Government Survey Claims Zero, But Ground Reality And Court Records Story Differ

In a major statement made in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, August 2, 2026, the Central Government announced that a fresh nationwide survey conducted across all districts found zero manual scavengers in the country. Replying to a parliamentary query, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale stated that under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, no individuals are engaged in manual scavenging anymore. The government highlighted that focus has shifted toward complete mechanization, with 89,915 sewer and septic tank workers validated across states under the NAMASTE scheme to receive safety gear, health insurance, and machine training.

However, civil rights activists, worker unions, and legal experts point out that the claim of "zero manual scavengers" relies heavily on a narrow administrative definition. Under the 2013 law, manual scavenging was originally defined around manually cleaning dry, non-flush toilets. While dry toilets have been converted under the Swachh Bharat Mission, thousands of daily-wage sanitation workers across Indian towns are still forced to enter dark, toxic underground sewer lines and septic tanks by hand without proper safety equipment. On paper, these workers are reclassified as "sewer cleaners" rather than manual scavengers, allowing administrative reports to claim zero counts.

The biggest contradiction to the official survey comes directly from judicial records. The Supreme Court of India recently issued contempt notices to Chief Secretaries of 15 States and Union Territories after official data revealed that over 160 sanitation workers died due to asphyxiation and toxic gas inhalation inside sewers between 2023 and 2025. Activists emphasize that as long as municipal contractors deploy informal workers into manholes without mechanized machines and tragic deaths continue, manual scavenging remains an active reality on the ground regardless of official survey figures.