Innovation For Dignity: Tech to Make Sewer Work Safe

In India, at least 150 sewer cleaner deaths were reported in 2022 and 2023 due to hazardous cleaning, according to government data from July 2025.

More recent data from March 2025 indicates 113 deaths in 2023 and 2024, highlighting the ongoing issue of fatalities in sewer and septic tank cleaning despite the manual scavenging ban.

The recent report of a sewer cleaner’s death in Delhi – the capital of the country, while on the job of sewer cleaning once again sets us thinking that if India is on the path of 100 Smart cities, why such shameful incidents are still happening across best of our cities.

Technologies are there to avoid such instances, it’s the political will that is lacking.

Some Shocking Findings

These are the findings of the recent social audit commissioned by the Union Government.

• Over 90% of workers who died while cleaning sewers did not have any safety gear or personalized protective equipment (PPE) kits,
• No consent was taken from workers from the workers, and where written consent was taken from, it was without any counselling or briefing on the risks involved in the work.
• In almost all cases, there is no equipment readiness on the part of the concerned Agency carrying out sewer cleaning work.
• The concerned agency in majority of the cases is a private contractor working for a government department or public sector undertaking.

Digital India – Can Technology Replace Humans

The country is the world's third-largest digitalized economy and a growing tech market.

India ranks 39th in the Global Innovation Index 2024 and 36th in the UNCTAD's Frontier Technologies Readiness Index 2025, demonstrating significant advancements in innovation and readiness for future technologies.

Then why are we not using technology systems for hazardous work such as sewage cleaning that can help avoid thousands of deaths every year.

Robotic solutions like the Bandicoot robot and Homosep robots and mechanized equipment: like vacuum jetting trucks and other de-gritting machines and more portable machines designed for congested urban lanes can prevent human entry into sewers.

The Government Action or Inaction

According to the government The National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme launched in July 2023 to formalize sanitation work, use trained workers, and stop deaths from hazardous cleaning has identified 84,902 sewer and septic tank workers in 36 States and UTs across the country, of which a little over half have been provided with PPE kits and safety gear.

84,902 sewer workers covered under NAMASTE seems like a miniscule number, considering it is across 36 states and union Territories and among that also, only half a number have been provided with safety gears!

I will say too little too late!

However, effective and widespread implementation is hindered by issues like uneven technological adoption between metropolitan and smaller cities, lack of funding, inadequate training, and deeply rooted social and, including caste-based discrimination.

There is no doubt, technology is available to end the dangerous practice of manual scavenging in India, but it is the bureaucratic challenges lack of systemic reforms and sustained political that is the reason for city municipalities still using old age conventional methods.

It also comes down to the segment of these workers who are the will bottom of the pyramid under privileged class of the society with no voice or say in the matter and therefore, government institutions despite many schemes continue to deploy adequate funds for technology adoption.