Jaipur sewer deaths expose JMC monitoring lapses

Jaipur: The deaths of two workers during sewer cleaning in Jhotwara on April 17 have brought the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) under scrutiny, with an initial probe pointing to poor monitoring of outsourced agencies as a key cause of the tragedy.Officials said the civic body failed to adequately supervise private contractors engaged for sewer cleaning across the city. Despite a legal ban on manual sewer cleaning, workers continue to be sent into hazardous conditions.“There is no shortage of sewer-cleaning machines in Jaipur, but the problem lies in their poor utilisation. The corporation lacks an effective monitoring mechanism to track whether contractors are following safety norms and using machines as required. Responsibility must be fixed on both officials and contractors to prevent such deaths,” a senior JMC official told TOI.The incident has triggered parallel action. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission have directed the district collector and the JMC commissioner to conduct separate probes. The JMC has also formed a four-member committee to examine why manual cleaning was carried out.“The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days. Let them submit the report,” JMC commissioner Om Prakash Kasera said.The case once again highlights violations of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The law bans hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning and prescribes penalties for violations, while requiring prior written permission for any manual intervention.Officials cited national data showing 622 deaths during sewer and septic tank cleaning between 2017 and March 17, 2026, with Rajasthan among the 10 worst-affected states, recording 37 deaths.