The Supreme Court has intensified its scrutiny over manual scavenging, seeking concrete proof from six major metropolitan cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad—on whether the practice has truly been eradicated.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar has directed the Chief Executive Officers of these cities to submit affidavits by February 13, detailing the timeline and methods used to eliminate manual scavenging and sewer cleaning. The court has made it clear: this is not just a formality but a decisive step toward ensuring that no human being is forced into such inhumane labor.
This directive follows an earlier order from October 2023, in which the court issued fourteen measures to stamp out manual scavenging across India. By December 2024, the Union government was tasked with gathering state-wise data on the extent to which manual sewer cleaning had been discontinued. While the Centre’s recent affidavit claimed that 456 out of 775 districts had ceased the practice, the Supreme Court found gaps in the data—especially regarding metropolitan areas.
Emphasizing that modern technology should have rendered manual sewer cleaning obsolete, the bench reiterated that these cities have access to advanced machinery capable of handling waste management without human intervention. The court reaffirmed its intent to enforce a complete ban on manual scavenging in these urban centers.
The case is set for further hearing on February 19, as the court remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that no worker is subjected to the degrading and hazardous conditions of manual scavenging.