The Crossbill Team
The Supreme Court has expressed strong discontent with the authorities in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad over their failure to provide a concrete plan for eradicating manual scavenging and manual sewer cleaning.
The court has summoned officials from these cities for the next hearing, questioning their lack of action despite previous directives, Live Law reported.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar had earlier, on January 29, imposed a ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
The court had directed senior municipal officials from each city to submit a detailed affidavit by February 13, outlining steps taken to eliminate the hazardous practice.
While authorities in Mumbai and Chennai submitted satisfactory responses and were asked to furnish details on the mechanized equipment used as alternatives, those in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad failed to comply adequately. This prompted the court to seek explanations and summon senior officials to the next hearing scheduled for March 20.
The Supreme Court also raised serious concerns over recent deaths caused by manual scavenging in these cities, despite official claims that the practice had been discontinued.
The bench has sought explanations on why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against officials or contractors responsible for hiring manual scavengers or allowing conditions that led to fatalities.
In Hyderabad, the affidavit submitted by the Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board lacked clarity regarding the timeline for stopping manual scavenging.
Additionally, the court noted that three deaths linked to the practice had been recorded in the past year. The managing director of the board has been ordered to appear in the next hearing.
Kolkata authorities came under similar scrutiny, as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's response was deemed unsatisfactory, particularly in light of three manual scavenging deaths reported as recently as February 2.
The court has summoned the municipal commissioner for further clarification.
Delhi’s Delhi Jal Board also faced criticism for submitting an "evasive" affidavit that failed to account for seven deaths attributed to manual scavenging last year. The court has directed the board’s director to be present at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), failed to submit any affidavit at all, prompting the court to summon its commissioner.
With the next hearing set for March 20, the Supreme Court is expected to take a stringent stance on ensuring accountability and enforcing the nationwide ban on manual scavenging.
The court has summoned officials from these cities for the next hearing, questioning their lack of action despite previous directives, Live Law reported.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar had earlier, on January 29, imposed a ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in six metropolitan cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
The court had directed senior municipal officials from each city to submit a detailed affidavit by February 13, outlining steps taken to eliminate the hazardous practice.
While authorities in Mumbai and Chennai submitted satisfactory responses and were asked to furnish details on the mechanized equipment used as alternatives, those in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad failed to comply adequately. This prompted the court to seek explanations and summon senior officials to the next hearing scheduled for March 20.
The Supreme Court also raised serious concerns over recent deaths caused by manual scavenging in these cities, despite official claims that the practice had been discontinued.
The bench has sought explanations on why criminal proceedings should not be initiated against officials or contractors responsible for hiring manual scavengers or allowing conditions that led to fatalities.
In Hyderabad, the affidavit submitted by the Metropolitan Water & Sewerage Board lacked clarity regarding the timeline for stopping manual scavenging.
Additionally, the court noted that three deaths linked to the practice had been recorded in the past year. The managing director of the board has been ordered to appear in the next hearing.
Kolkata authorities came under similar scrutiny, as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation's response was deemed unsatisfactory, particularly in light of three manual scavenging deaths reported as recently as February 2.
The court has summoned the municipal commissioner for further clarification.
Delhi’s Delhi Jal Board also faced criticism for submitting an "evasive" affidavit that failed to account for seven deaths attributed to manual scavenging last year. The court has directed the board’s director to be present at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), failed to submit any affidavit at all, prompting the court to summon its commissioner.
With the next hearing set for March 20, the Supreme Court is expected to take a stringent stance on ensuring accountability and enforcing the nationwide ban on manual scavenging.
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