As many as 389 people died in the country while manually cleaning sewers from 2015 to 2019, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said on Wednesday.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said FIRs have been registered against 266 people for engaging people for hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks that resulted in fatalities.
From 2015 to 2019, he said, 389 people died while manually cleaning sewers.
Responding to another question, Mr. Athawale said 210 people died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the last three years, and states and UTs paid compensation to the families of the deceased in 165 cases.
Responding to a third question, he said 66,692 manual scavengers have been identified across 17 states in the country.
