The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over photographs showing manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning work being carried out at Gate F of the apex court building itself, warning that officials responsible could face criminal action.
A bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia (since retired on August 9) and Justice Aravind Kumar, while hearing applications in a public interest litigation on the eradication of manual scavenging, said it was “constrained to observe” that such dangerous cleaning practices were still taking place, exposing workers to grave risks without proper safety gear.
The court directed the concerned Public Works Department (PWD) officer to file a reply and impleaded the East Delhi Municipal Corporation as a party-respondent in the matter. The civic body has been asked to explain why manual labour is still being deployed for hazardous cleaning despite a nationwide prohibition, and why workers are being made to work in life-threatening conditions.
“It is made clear that if satisfactory reply is not received on the next date, we will have no option but to direct the registration of an FIR against such officer(s) who are exposing the workers to the risk of their lives,” the bench warned, posting the matter for hearing on September 10.
The Supreme Court had, in October 2023, delivered a landmark judgment calling manual scavengers “systematically trapped in inhuman conditions” and directed the Centre and states to completely eliminate the practice. It had also ordered that the families of those who die while cleaning sewers be paid Rs 30 lakh in compensation.
