Hyderabad, Oct. 7 -- As many as 125 deaths involving manual scavengers across India were reported between January and October this year, said DASAM, an advocacy organisation that works for the rights of Dalits and Adivasis.

DASAM, or Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch, documented the number of deaths involving sanitation work, sewer and septic-tank cleaning, sewage-treatment infrastructure, confined-space entry, maintenance and repair.

The deaths are recurring patterns rather than isolated episodes, largely due to the unavailability of protective gear. They occur in factories, industrial units, residential societies, construction sites, sewage-treatment plants, sewer lines and other public and private infrastructure.

July recorded 28 d...