309 people died cleaning sewers and septic tanks (Representational)
Over 300 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last five years, the government said Tuesday, adding, no deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging.
Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said according to reports of the state governments, no person is working as a manual scavenger - carrying of human excreta from latrines - anymore.
"There are certain claims from some voluntary agencies that there are still some people working as manual scavengers. However, they could not substantiate these claims," he said.
"Although no deaths have been reported from manual scavenging, 309 deaths have been reported during the last five years of people who undertook hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks," Mr Athawale added.
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