The Orissa High Court has strongly censured the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) for continuing the inhumane and unsafe practice of manual drain cleaning.
Citing serious concerns about the exploitation of sanitation workers, including reported instances of child labour, the court directed the CMC to immediately transition to mechanised cleaning methods and submit a comprehensive action plan by July 31.
A division bench comprising Justices SK Sahoo and V Narasingh issued the order during a hearing on multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) regarding civic infrastructure in Cuttack. The bench was particularly disturbed by recent images and reports, including those shared by citizens on social media, depicting sanitation workers cleaning stormwater drains with bare hands, without safety gear, and in dangerously toxic and hazardous conditions.
The court labelled the ongoing practice as “inhuman and potentially fatal”, noting the presence of broken glass, metal debris, poisonous reptiles, and toxic gases in the drains. It further criticised the lack of monitoring by CMC officials and expressed shock over the alleged use of minors for such high-risk tasks.
Mandate for Mechanisation & Accountability
The court has instructed the CMC to:
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Procure modern cleaning machinery
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Train staff for mechanised operations
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Create a phased implementation timeline
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Ensure compliance with the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act
A preliminary roadmap must be submitted at the next hearing on July 7, with a final action plan due by July 31.
This judicial rebuke follows public outrage over recent visuals of sanitation workers wading through sludge without protective equipment. The High Court’s intervention is seen as a vital step toward dignifying the lives of sanitation workers, ensuring their safety, and modernising urban infrastructure in Odisha’s judicial capital.
