Manual desilting by sanitation staff for narrow drains in Cuttack sparks concerns

Netizens recently raised concerns after the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) posted images of sanitation workers manually desilting narrow drains. The images, from last week, were uploaded on X (formerly Twitter), showed workers handling sludge with bare hands, which didn’t go well with the online audience.

The post by CMC was intended as a routine update on drain-cleaning operations, social media users alleged potential violations of Indian labour and human rights laws.

Manual Desilting by our Sanitation staffs for narrow drains. pic.twitter.com/3S5ava6Tec

— CMC,Cuttack (@CMCCuttack) June 5, 2025

What Netizens Say:

The episode has drawn attention to the violation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 1993, which bans manual cleaning of drains or excreta without protective gear.

The law was further strengthened in 2021, when the National Human Rights Commission explicitly extended its purview to include hazardous drain-cleaning tasks, mandating the use of mechanized systems or, at the very least, complete protective equipment.

Under Section 5 and Section 6 of the Act, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is compulsory in such jobs while Section 9 demands the elimination of manual scavenging through mechanization. The CMC’s actions, captured in their own post, have put the civic body in legal jeopardy.

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Citizens Demand Accountability

Multiple users on social media flagged the post as a glaring instance of unlawful and unethical labour practices.

Some called it ‘illegal’ while others questioned why workers were being sent into toxic drains without even the most basic safety precautions.

Suggestions poured in from citizens and experts alike, urging the CMC to adopt high-powered pumps and mechanized solutions instead of relying on human labour for such dangerous work.

It is worth mentioning that in 2021, the Orissa High Court had directed both the CMC and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to phase out manual scavenging and shift to mechanized cleaning. However, the latest images suggest little has changed on the ground.

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As of yet, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation has not issued a public response or responded to the comments on its post alleging unsafe working conditions.