Subhechcha Ganguly 
In a landmark move, nearly 4,000 manual scavengers in Delhi will be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits ahead of the upcoming monsoon season. This marks the first time such a measure is being taken in the capital to safeguard sanitation workers exposed to hazardous conditions.
Each PPE kit will include 42 safety items, such as gas protection masks, helmets with lights, gumboots, protective clothing, gloves, and barrier creams to shield workers from harmful gases and skin irritants. The initiative is part of the Centre’s ‘Namaste’ scheme launched in 2023–24, which aims to ensure safe working conditions, financial aid, and social security for sanitation workers, particularly those involved in cleaning sewers and septic tanks.
Delhi Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh confirmed to PTI that PPE kits will be distributed before the onset of rains. He also instructed officials to ensure all manual scavengers are enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.
Additionally, departments have been directed to fast-track training and rehabilitation programs for workers involved in manual sewer cleaning. Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs) are also to be established to provide quick aid during accidents. Singh emphasized that all pending compensation cases related to sewer and septic tank deaths must be resolved in a time-bound manner.
“The safety of every sanitation worker is our priority. They must have access to PPE kits and health insurance before the monsoon,” the minister said.
Social activist Bezwada Wilson, founder of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, welcomed the move but raised concerns about the persistence of manual scavenging despite being outlawed under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
“PPE kits reduce health risks, but they do not eliminate the danger. Instead of sending humans into toxic manholes, the government should introduce mechanized cleaning methods,” Wilson said.
He also shared alarming data: 102 manual scavengers died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have already died in 2025 — including four in Delhi alone.
