Delhi: Sanitation Workers Protest Against Unabated Sewer, Septic Tank Deaths

New Delhi: Under the banner “Stop Killing Us”, sanitation workers gathered at Jantar Mantar on March 25, 2026, demanding an end to the unabated deaths inside sewers and septic tanks. The protest, organised by the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA), brought together workers from 10 states, including families who had lost loved ones while cleaning sewers.

Just a short distance from the swanky new Parliament building, the demonstrators raised slogans: “Stop Killing Us”, “End Deaths in Sewers and Septic Tanks” and “Prime Minister, Apologise to the Nation”.

The protest was both an expression of grief and anger, and a demand for justice.

A National Shame

In an era of advanced technology and artificial intelligence, India can send missions to the moon, yet it has failed to develop machines to clean sewers safely. Citizens are still being sent into the “death traps” underground.

The Constitution guarantees every citizen the Right to Live with Dignity (RL-21), but sanitation workers are being denied this fundamental right.

Instead of preventing these deaths, the government has been accused of manipulating statistics to hide the scale of the tragedy. In just the first 80 days of 2026, 41 sanitation workers have died in sewers. According to SKA, 121 workers died in 2025, while government figures claim only 46.

Despite being illegal, manual scavenging continues in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jammu & Kashmir. Ministers insist the practice has been eradicated, but SKA calls this a “blatant lie.” The movement has been fighting against this injustice for over 40 years.

Voices from the Protest

At the Janta Mantar rally, SKA’s national convener and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Bezwada Wilson stated:
“Already 41 people have died this year in sewers, yet the government remains silent, as if our lives and deaths mean nothing. Because of casteist attitudes, our people are being pushed into these death traps, and no one has ever been punished for these killings, even though the law clearly prohibits sending humans into sewers.”

SKA leader Deepthi Sukumar questioned why the government consistently under-reported deaths. “In 2025, SKA recorded 121 deaths, but the government reported only 46. In 2024, SKA counted 116 deaths, while the government claimed 55. Where are the missing numbers? Parliament must be told the truth.”

The families of victims also shared their pain and demanded urgent action to stop these deaths. SKA leaders from various states, including Luvjinder Kaur, Seema Khairwal, Neelam, Poonam, Anchal, Pooja, Usha Sagar, Rajkumar, Subhash, Amar Singh, Prakash, and Mayank, highlighted how government and local administrations continued to operate with caste-based discrimination.

Demands Presented to the Prime Minister

After the rally, the SKA submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, demanding a “national apology” for the sewer deaths and the continuation of caste-based oppression. They called for a time-bound action plan to eliminate sewer deaths, liberate manual scavengers, and ensure full rehabilitation.

The key demands include:

• A national apology from the Prime Minister for sewer and septic tank deaths.
• Accurate figures of deaths to be presented to the nation.
• A time-bound national action plan to immediately stop sewer deaths.
• Guarantee of RL-21 — the right to live with dignity — for sanitation workers.
• Accountability and action against senior government officials responsible for these deaths. 

The writer is affiliated with Safai Karmachari Andolan.