India, Aug. 4 -- The Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, August 4, at 3 pm, demanding accountability over deaths caused during sewer and septic tank cleaning and alleging that the government has significantly underreported such fatalities. The demonstration, organised under the banner #STOPKILLINGUS, aims to draw attention to what the organisation describes as continued official apathy towards manual scavenging-related deaths and alleged attempts to suppress the actual figures. According to SKA, at least 593 people have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks between January 2021 and August 2026. However, the organisation claims that "the Central government has acknowledged only 332 deaths in Parliament during the same period, leaving hundreds of cases unaccounted for." Also Read - Delhi to set up 'Arpan' centres at Metro stns for old clothes, recycling The organisation said the protest seeks to highlight the gap between official records and data compiled through independent documentation. It alleged that the underreporting of fatalities has resulted in affected families being denied justice, compensation and rehabilitation. SKA has urged the government to ensure transparency in recording all sewer and septic tank deaths, hold authorities accountable for violations of safety norms, and strictly enforce the legal prohibition on hazardous manual cleaning of sewers. The organisation has also reiterated its demand for complete mechanisation of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations to eliminate the need for workers to enter toxic confined spaces. The protest is expected to bring together sanitation workers, activists, civil society organisations and families of victims from different parts of the country. Participants will call for stronger implementation of existing laws protecting sanitation workers and for immediate measures to prevent further loss of life. SKA urged media coverage of the protest, saying it aims to highlight systemic failures and amplify families' voices.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.