In a first, Delhi's manual scavengers to receive PPE kits ahead of monsoon season

New Delhi: For the first time, nearly 4,000 manual scavengers in Delhi will be provided with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits ahead of the monsoon season.

The kits will include 42 safety items such as helmets with lights, gas protection masks, gumboots, protective clothing, gloves, and barrier creams designed to protect against hazardous gases and skin irritants.

The initiative is part of the Centre's 'Namaste' (National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem) scheme launched in 2023-24 to ensure secure working conditions, financial assistance, and social security benefits for sanitation workers, especially those engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh told PTI that around 4,000 scavengers will get PPE kits before the rains begin.

He also directed officials to ensure that all manual scavengers are enrolled under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.

In addition, departments have been instructed to expedite training and rehabilitation efforts for those involved in manual sewer cleaning and to establish adequate Emergency Response Sanitation Units, Singh said.

All district magistrates have been ordered to resolve pending compensation cases related to sewer and septic tank deaths in a time-bound manner, he added.

"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, said while PPE kits can help reduce health risks, they do not fully eliminate the dangers faced by manual scavengers.

"This step is welcome, but it still does not prevent the deaths of manual scavengers," said Wilson.

Wilson also pointed out that the initiative raises concerns under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which officially banned manual scavenging in India.

"Instead of sending humans into toxic manholes, the government should focus on introducing machines to clean them," he added.

Wilson also shared data on the deaths of manual scavengers, stating that around 102 died in 2023, 116 in 2024, and 30 have died in 2025 so far. In Delhi alone, four workers have died this year, he said.