No Masks, No Machines: Delhi Sewer Cleaners Take the Cockroach Test Before Going In

New Delhi- Greeting the day with the early morning light, he prepares for his daily journey. However, upon reaching his destination, an unpleasant smell from a congested sewage situation welcomes him. Firmly, he expresses his reluctance, "I can't go in there." The highest court has banned the troubling task of manual scavenging.

Yet, the response he receives gives a reality check, "Arey, afsar se bola hai. Andar na jao toh dihadi nahi milegi (The officer says we have to. If we dont go inside you won't get paid)." With hesitant resolve, his hands tremble as he opens the lid and steps into the challenge, devoid of a mask or any protective gear. And now, the only way to sustain his livelihood has also been taken away. This is Pappu’s story.

Pappu is a 35-year-old sanitation worker from Jamunapar, even though his wrinkled face tells a different story. He used to work under Delhi’s Jal Board but has been pushed out due to the inefficient contractual system. The worker has been out of work since December 7th, without any opportunity to look forward to. The Mooknayak spoke to the sanitation worker who is under a lot of pressure to fend for his family.

Pappu put the spotlight on a grim reality, something which all of us know but do not acknowledge. Even when going inside the sewers has been outlawed, sanitation workers still go in. This might be due to pressure from higher authorities or for a quicker job. The worker revealed, “At first, when I started working in sanitation, I had to go inside the sewers most of the time. Fortunately, that has decreased. Ever since laws came in to safeguard us, we do not generally go in. But once or twice in 6 months, I am still forced to go into sewers. Machines are used to open the lid and clean the sewers but there are times when the systems are unable to do a good job. It is then we are forced to go inside the sewers.”

The protection and health of the workers are the least of the worries for the officers. Pappu remarked, “we do not get any protective gear before we enter the sewers. No mask or specific costumes are provided to us that might be helpful in such serious situations. The most we are provided with are safety belts, nothing more. Legally, we are not supposed to go in but when Junior Engineers and other officers ask us to do so, we already have no other option than to give consent. These officers are under Delhi Jal Board or the Sanitation Department. Most of the times, we enter alone but sometimes a group of people go in together.”

Sewage systems often contain hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia, which not only are harmful and smell bad but also can reduce the oxygen level inside the systems. The sanitation worker added about the health risks of going into the systems, “most sewers have gases in them which affect the health. Our bodies itch and we develop infections all over the body. At times our eyes get affected too, blurring the eyesight. If there is too much gas, they lead to a reduced oxygen level and can lead to choking and death.”

Going inside such treatments can be scary. Most workers allegedly are not provided with any machine to make sure if going in is safe for them so they have developed a peculiar technique for themselves. Pappu explained, “whenever we open the lid, we check for cockroaches. If we do not see any, we drop a few stones. If no crawly insect comes out, this means there is too much gas, and it is not safe for us to go in.”

Things are not easy at his house, back in Jamunapar. Talking about his family, the worker revealed, “I have a wife who is differently abled and two children. Because of this, I am the only member of my family who can provide. Whatever I earn not only goes into the tuition fees of my children but also to pay for the medicines and physiotherapy of my wife. She also suffers from thyroid and diabetes-related complications, whose medicines are bought from private pharmacies since they are more accessible. She is paralyzed from the waist-down and is unable to do most of the house chores.”

Pappu continues, “It becomes very difficult for me to save. Since I get paid by the hour, I might earn on a particular day but there is no guarantee that I will get work the next day as well.”

Sanitation workers under Delhi Jal Board are often appointed through a contractual system. The reason to end such contracts often does not reach the workers a month prior, which is the official way of getting out of such official documents. Many workers also lack a level of awareness because of which they are not able to raise their demands.

A power imbalance is also there between the workers and their employers, which is affected not just by the seniority of positions but by caste as well. A majority of sanitation workers are Dalit and belong to Valmiki or Jatav castes. Pappu opened up about the end of his contract by saying, “Since I have been pushed out by the contractual system, I do not do any permanent work. Nowadays, I stand at the chowk waiting for irregular work to come to me. I work as a labourer and sometimes as a mason since I do not have any skills to depend on. Sometimes I get paid 400 for a job or at times 500-600, if I am lucky enough.”

Pappu's story is just one piece of a bigger picture involving many workers all over the country. Every day, these workers face risks in their jobs. This particular experience is of a worker in the capital city. One can only comprehend the dismal situation of the nation.

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