Mr Minister, here is manual scavenging, now take action

CHENNAI: A day after

municipal administration and water supply minister

SP Velumani declared in the legislative assembly that no local body resorted to

manual scavenging

, TOI on Friday found people clearing sewage at the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex. The

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority

’s market management committee, which maintains the complex, immediately denied it saying only sludge was being cleared from a stormwater drain under a sub-contract by a private agency.


Around 3.30pm, six people were engaged in the task and were gathered around the manhole near the fruit market. A man who entered the manhole handled the sewage using a hoe, while a woman standing on the ground dumped it on the roadside. She had a glove on the right hand, but the man who was inside the pit had no protective gear. The other four women in the group were also without any protective gear. The stench that enveloped the area as the sewage was brought up and dumped was unbearable stink, but the group continued working.

D V Samuel, state convener of Safai Karamchari Andolan, said such acts clearly constituted manual scavenging. “Generally, government authorities camouflage such actions as clearing blocks from stormwater drains. But, in reality it is manual scavenging,” he said. Stormwater drains in the city largely carry sewage. “As far as Koyambedu is concerned, it is a clear case of stormwater drains being carriers of sewage. The authorities speak of eradicating manual scavenging, but nothing is being done on the ground to end the inhuman practice.”

On Thursday, speaking in the assembly, Velumani warned of stern action against individuals and private firms perpetuating manual scavenging.

Enquiries with officials of the MMC revealed that the group of individuals had been engaged by a private agency to clear the stormwater drains. Koyambedu MMC chief administrative officer Govindarajan said that the stormwater drain network in the area was maintained by Ramky agency. “There was a block in the stormwater drain due to the huge quantity of vegetable waste that got mixed with rainwater after last week’s spell. It was only sludge and not sewage,” he said. According to him, the work had been going on for the past two days. “But, we will be issuing notices to the private agency in this regard,” he added.