New Delhi | The Supreme Court of India has hit out at the government for manual scavenging and sewage cleaning and said nowhere in the world people are sent to “gas chambers to die”.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra questioned Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, as to why proper protective gear like mask and oxygen cylinders were not being provided to people engaged in manual scavenging and cleaning of sewage or manholes.
“Why are you not providing them masks and oxygen cylinders? In no country in the world, people are sent to gas chambers to die. Four to five people are dying due to this every month,” said the bench also comprising justices M R Shah and B R Gavai.
The bench said that even though it has been 70 years since independence, the case discrimination has not gone away.
The Constitution has provided that all human beings are equal but they are not being given equal facilities by the authorities, it said.
The bench termed as “inhuman” the situation where the people are not provided with any protective gear and they are dying during the process of cleaning of sewage and manholes across the country.
“This is most inhuman to treat the human beings like this,” the bench observed.
Attorney General K K Venugopal said that even though no case can be filed against the worker, the supervisor can be held responsible.
“Despite the constitution abolishing untouchability in the country, I am asking you people, do you shake hands with them? The answer is no. That is the way we are going on. The condition must improve. We have moved 70 years since Independence but these things are still happening,” Justice Mishra said.
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