Manual Scavenging Spotted Outside Supreme Court, Delhi Government Gets Steep Fine
The Delhi Public Works Department has been fined Rs 5 lakh by the Supreme Court after its labourers were found cleaning sewers outside the court building manually -- a process that is banned in view of the risks it poses to workers.
- Date & Time:
- |
- Views: 29
- |
- From: India News Bull
New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has imposed a substantial penalty of Rs 5 lakh on the Delhi Public Works Department after discovering laborers manually cleaning sewers near the court premises—a practice that has been prohibited due to the significant health hazards it presents to workers. The court emphasized that the PWD not only failed to provide safety equipment but also employed an underage individual for this dangerous task.
Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, who comprised the Bench, cautioned that future violations would result in criminal proceedings against responsible officials.
The monetary penalty must be submitted to the National Safai Karamchari Commission within a four-week timeframe.
This violation came to light in August when senior advocate K Parameshwara filed an application, presenting video evidence of manual sewer cleaning occurring outside Gate F of the Supreme Court. He argued that accountability needed to be established, as this activity clearly contravened the court's 2023 directives.
Photographic evidence clearly demonstrated that workers were performing their duties without proper safety gear.
"We are compelled to state that the photographs shown to us show that manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning work is also being carried out at Gate F of this Court," the judges remarked. On August 6, the court incorporated the East Delhi Municipal Corporation as a party to the proceedings and issued a formal notice. The civic body's Chief Executive Officer was instructed to submit an affidavit explaining the continued practice of manual scavenging and hazardous cleaning by laborers.
In the 2023 case of Dr. Balram Singh vs. Union of India, the Supreme Court had issued multiple directives aimed at eliminating manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning.
In January 2025, the court explicitly ordered the cessation of this practice in major metropolitan centers including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, repeatedly highlighting that relevant officials were displaying negligence regarding this critical issue.