Jaipur's Shame: Lethal Sewers Despite Advanced Tech

Two workers, Ajay and Ram Babu, lost their lives on April 17 after entering a sewage chamber in Jaipur, a tragic incident that underscores a persistent problem. The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) possesses advanced equipment, including super sucker machines and robotic cleaners, and ample funds. However, it continues to award contracts that rely on manual scavengers, leading to avoidable deaths.

This issue is not confined to Jaipur. A report by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment indicates 622 deaths occurred nationally between 2017 and March 2026 during sewer and septic tank cleaning. Rajasthan has recorded 37 such fatalities, placing it among the top ten states.

Despite a Supreme Court ruling declaring entry into sewage systems without safety gear a criminal offense and mandating Rs 30 lakh compensation for each death, these incidents persist. Factors contributing to this include a lack of proper sewer lines in developing areas, forcing reliance on manual cleaning of septic tanks. Furthermore, the deployed robotic technology has operational limitations, leading authorities to default to manual labor as the quickest and cheapest solution.

Negligence extends beyond municipal bodies, with industrial units also exhibiting a lack of safety protocols. These incidents reveal a pattern of risk being outsourced to vulnerable populations, driven by a lack of accountability, cost-cutting by contractors, and a systemic failure to enforce safety norms. Breaking this cycle requires criminal liability, contractor blacklisting, real-time monitoring, and a fundamental shift in mindset where manual scavenging is no longer deemed acceptable.