No More Excuses: NHRC Demands Answers from States on Sewer Deaths Within 8 Weeks

National News: The Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the right to live with dignity. But when a person is still forced to descend into a sewer filled with filth, breathing his last, it is not just a failure of a system — it is a question of civilization.

Now, striking a decisive blow to this inhumane evil, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a direct message to governments across the country: “Either you mend your  ways, or history will not forgive you.”

Supreme Court’s historic order, no longer in cold storage

The NHRC has written to all states and union territories setting a deadline of 8 weeks to fully implement the landmark judgment delivered by the Supreme Court in 2023. This judgment — Dr. Balram Singh vs. Union of India — is not just a legal document, but a call to the conscience of India.

The order contains a total of 14 directives aimed at:

• Complete elimination of manual scavenging
• End of human intervention in sewer cleaning
• Compensation, rehabilitation and dignified life for victims

Caste, exploitation and shame: The true face of manual scavenging

The NHRC made it clear that the practice is not only unconstitutional but also deeply casteist. It imprisons a section of society that has been associated with filth for centuries — and even after 75 years of Independence, they get only death and humiliation.

The Commission said bluntly:

“This is not just a human right violation, but a crime against humanity.”

States asked for response, changes to be seen on the ground

The NHRC has directed all state governments and UT administrations to explain within 8 weeks how they have implemented these orders of the Supreme Court. It has also been suggested to create a permanent monitoring system so that no further life is lost in the sewer.

The question remains: Will the reality change with orders alone?

Every year dozens of sanitation workers in the country die of suffocation in sewers. No coverage, no noise. Just one news – “one more death”. But now that the NHRC has given an open challenge, the country will have to decide whether we will create a society in which every person is called a human being, or we will stand in the dock of history – silent and ashamed.