The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a complete ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in six major metropolitan cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
A bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia directed the chief executive officers of these cities to submit detailed affidavits by February 13, explaining how and when manual scavenging had been stopped. The court scheduled the next hearing for February 19.
In December 2023, the court instructed the Centre to coordinate with states and gather feedback on efforts to eliminate manual scavenging and sewer cleaning. A recent affidavit from the Union government revealed that among 775 districts in India, 456 reported no cases of manual scavenging or manual sewer cleaning.
However, after reviewing submissions by the Additional Solicitor General, the court noted a lack of clarity on whether manual sewer cleaning had been completely eradicated in metropolitan cities, as intended in the Supreme Court’s October 10, 2023, order.
“We are of the opinion that the time has come to pass clear directions,” the bench stated.
In its October ruling, the court had stated that both the central and state governments are legally obligated to ensure the complete eradication of manual scavenging across India.