Storm drain desilting raises manual scavenging concern

In the afternoon sun near Munirka along the Outer Ring Road, Mahendra Singh removes his shirt and trousers, stripping down to his underwear before stepping into a stormwater drain.

- Paras Singh

[e-mail] NEW DELHI: With a rusted shovel, he scoops out dark, foul-smelling sludge—a mix of silt, plastic, and broken glass—and passes it to his co-worker Raj Kumar. Neither man wears gloves, boots, or any protective gear.

Along a 100-metre stretch from the spot, there are multiple heaps of filth as over 50 workers toil to clear choked storm drains ahead of monsoon. This scene, repeated across hundreds of sites in Delhi, is part of the Capital's annual pre-monsoon desilting drive.

To be sure, the drains being cleaned are not classified as sewage lines, but as stormwater drains meant to carry only rainwater. By legal definition, therefore, the work does not fall under the category of "manual scavenging" as per the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which restricts the term to the handling of human excreta in insanitary conditions.

Yet, activists and rights groups say this distinction is both technical and misleading.