Pune: National Commission for Safari Karmacharis Orders Inquiry Into Sewer, Drain Cleaning Practices in PCMC; Flags Violation of Norms

Pimpri-Chinchwad, 19th June 2026: The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) has directed the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into allegations that sanitation workers were deployed in hazardous sewer, drain and nullah cleaning operations without adequate safety measures, and warned that strict action should be taken against officials and contractors if violations are established.

In a letter addressed to municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi, NCSK member Karam Singh Karma said the commission had received complaints, representations, photographs and reports suggesting that safai karamcharis were being engaged in unsafe working conditions during sanitation-related operations in the city.

The commission observed that the material placed before it prima facie indicated deployment of sanitation workers in hazardous conditions without sufficient mechanisation, protective equipment and statutory safeguards. It noted that the allegations raised concerns regarding the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), insurance coverage, occupational safety measures, health facilities, deployment practices and compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

The communication comes less than a week after the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) sought an explanation from the civic administration over similar allegations linked to pre-monsoon desilting works.

The NCSK referred to a hearing held on June 4, during which advocate Sagar Charan, National Legal Advisor of the Akhil Bharatiya Safai Mazdoor Sangh, raised concerns about the alleged hazardous deployment of sanitation workers, lack of safety equipment, inadequate mechanisation and non-compliance with statutory safeguards.

According to the commission, submissions were made during the hearing by Dr Pradip Thengal, deputy municipal commissioner (health) of PCMC. However, the commission said it was not satisfied with the explanations furnished, observing that they failed to adequately address the issues raised or demonstrate compliance with legal and safety obligations.

“In view of the seriousness of the allegations and the unsatisfactory response furnished during the sitting, the Commission considers it necessary that the matter be subjected to a comprehensive inquiry and that accountability be fixed wherever lapses, negligence or violations are established,” the letter stated.

The commission has asked the municipal commissioner to personally examine the matter and submit a detailed Action Taken Report within 15 days. It has sought information on all sanitation workers engaged by the civic body, including regular, contractual and outsourced personnel, details of mechanised equipment used for sewer and drain cleaning, records of PPE distribution, safety training, insurance coverage, health facilities and welfare measures.

The inquiry has also been asked to examine accidents, injuries, fatalities, compensation and rehabilitation measures involving sanitation workers over the past five years.

The NCSK further directed the civic administration to conduct a special inquiry into the role of contractors, agencies and outsourcing firms engaged for sanitation-related work. It said that if any contractor is found to have deployed workers in prohibited manual scavenging or hazardous cleaning activities, legal action, prosecution, blacklisting, contract termination and recovery proceedings should be initiated. The commission also suggested imposing a financial penalty of at least Rs 5 lakh on defaulting contractors wherever permissible under law and contract conditions.

The commission has additionally sought an inquiry into whether adequate mechanised systems were available and utilised, whether PPE and safety gear were supplied and enforced, whether workers were exposed to hazardous conditions in violation of the law, and whether complaints regarding working conditions were ignored.

It also said that if the inquiry reveals negligence, dereliction of duty, supervisory failures or violation of statutory obligations by any official, including the deputy municipal commissioner (health), disciplinary and legal proceedings should be initiated in accordance with law.