The Supreme Court on Monday (27 July) took serious note of the continued deaths of workers during sewer and septic tank cleaning and issued contempt notices to the Chief Secretaries of 15 States for alleged non-compliance with its earlier directions to eliminate manual scavenging.
A Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi directed the concerned Chief Secretaries to file affidavits within four weeks explaining why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for failing to implement the Court's orders.
Background of the Case
The matter is being heard in a public interest litigation filed by Dr. Balram Singh, seeking effective implementation of measures to eradicate manual scavenging across the country.
In October 2023, the Supreme Court issued 14 directions aimed at ending the practice of manual scavenging and ensuring safer alternatives for sewer and septic tank cleaning. The Court has continued to monitor compliance through subsequent hearings.
During the latest hearing, Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar, appearing as amicus curiae, informed the Bench that 54 sewer-related deaths were reported in 2024 and another 46 in 2025, despite the Court's earlier directions.
Court's Observations
Expressing concern over the figures, the Bench observed that its previous directions had not been effectively implemented.
"The directions issued by this Court do not appear to have percolated, and sufficient remedial steps have not been taken," the Bench observed.
Justice Aravind Kumar also remarked that responsibility could not simply be shifted to contractors.
"We made it clear that there should be no manual scavenging, yet deaths are still occurring. Somewhere it has to stop," the Court said during the hearing.
The Court also referred to parliamentary data on hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning while reviewing the extent of compliance by different States.
Court's Decision
The Supreme Court issued show-cause notices to the Chief Secretaries of Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Each State has been directed to file an affidavit within four weeks explaining why contempt proceedings should not be initiated for the alleged wilful disobedience of the Court's earlier directions on eradicating manual scavenging.
Case Details
Case Title: Dr. Balram Singh v. Union of India and Others
Case Number: W.P.(C) No. 324/2020
Judge: Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi
Decision Date: 27 July 2026
