The Supreme Court criticized authorities in Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad over continued manual scavenging and related deaths, demanding personal appearances and detailed reports from top officials by March 20.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has expressed strong displeasure over the responses of Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad authorities regarding the continuation of manual scavenging and sewer cleaning deaths in their respective cities.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar has now directed top municipal officials—including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and Hyderabad Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB)—to personally appear at the next hearing. The court has also summoned the commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), as the civic body failed to submit any representation.
During the hearing on February 19, the Supreme Court criticized the affidavits submitted by the KMC and DJB, stating they were “not at all satisfactory.”
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It pointed out that while the KMC claimed manual scavenging had stopped, the city reported three deaths on February 2, 2025, due to the same practice. The court asked,
“If manual scavenging was truly stopped, how did these deaths occur?”
Regarding the DJB’s affidavit, the court found the response “very evasive,” noting that it simply stated manual scavenging was prohibited in Delhi but did not clarify whether it was actually being practiced. The court demanded an explanation for the seven reported deaths in the capital over the past year.
Similarly, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Board did not clarify how and when manual scavenging stopped in Hyderabad or why three deaths related to the practice occurred in the last year.
The affidavits from Mumbai and Chennai were found satisfactory, but the court still directed authorities to submit more detailed reports. The bench asked for specifics on the machines and equipment being used to replace manual scavenging and the exact date when the practice ended in these cities.
The Supreme Court issued a strong warning, stating that all responsible authorities must explain
“why criminal prosecution should not be initiated against officers and contractors who employed manual scavengers, leading to these deaths.”
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The KMC argued that the deaths in Kolkata occurred outside its jurisdiction and fell under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). However, the KMDA countered that it was not responsible for manual sewer cleaning. The court has now directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to clarify which agency is responsible for manual scavenging in Kolkata and its peripheral areas.
The matter has been posted for hearing on March 20. The Supreme Court had already banned manual scavenging on January 29 in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, but the latest revelations suggest that the practice continues to claim lives despite the prohibition.
This case has now put municipal authorities under intense scrutiny as they must account for every manual scavenging-related death and prove they have taken effective measures to eliminate the inhumane practice.
Case Title: DR. BALRAM SINGH v. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. W.P.(C) No. 324/2020
Read the Judgement here:
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