'We are scared to even raise our voice': Delhi sewer workers tell roundtable

By Jag Jivan*
A roundtable attended by more than 100 sewer workers in Delhi, saw sharp voices against the contract system, poor wages and lack of any social benefits. Organised by the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM), which has refused to reveal the identity of the sewer workers who spoke on the occasion for fear of retaliation from the authorities, saw workers complain that have been working for more than 10 years, hoping that someday they would be made permanent.
Said a sewer worker, “We earn less than the minimum wage provided by the government and do not receive any benefits from the government”, adding, “If someone in our family gets sick, we have nowhere to go for treatment. We are deprived of the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) and the Provident Fund (PF), which are basic facilities.”
Another worker said, “The contractor wages for only four months, though they are hired for for six months”, adding, “We have to do odd jobs to sustain ourselves. After one contract ends, we have to worry if we would be hired again or not.”
Yet another worker said, “We are scared to even raise our voice against any injustice either by the contractor or the neighborhood we work in. A constant threat of losing our job looms on our heads. Injuries while opening the sewer is so common that we do not even count it as an injury, and after such injuries, we are left on our own to treat them.”
Addressing the sewer workers, Ashok Kumar, a senior DASAM activist, spoke about the exploitative contractual system, pointing out, DASAM had submitted a presentation in front of MLAs of Delhi for contractual sewer workers and urged them to raise their issues in Parliament”, regretting, however, nothing has happened thereafter.
Citing a survey conducted on socio-economic and working conditions of contractual sewer workers, he said, “The contractual workers receive no work permits or ID cards, which further adds to their problem, especially in the case of accident or death.” In fact, they have to “struggle to prove the worker died while engaged in sewer work.”

Noted Ena Zafar, another senior DASAM activist, they witnessed that, although outlawed, sewer workers face untouchability. Even when a worker asks for water from some household, he or she is outright denied or asked to “take away the bottle.”
Virender Goudh, president, Municipal Workers Lal Jhanda Union (affiliated with the Centre for Indian Trade Unions) spoke about the issues workers and unions have to face while getting approval for minimum wage. The announced benefit of minimum wage has not reached the workers. Workers continue to receive money below minimum wages as whatever amount is added, is taken over by the contractors.
Shashi Raj, deputy convenor, Delhi Democratic Alliance, said that despite the slight engagement of people in the sewer work from some other castes, majority of workers belong to the Dalit community, which is historically oppressed and is still being oppressed. Workers are crying for basic facility for risking their lives, but the authorities have refused to listen to them.

---

*Freelance writer

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Search This Blog