Refused compensation, Delhi manual scavenger dies, family in dire straits

By Sanjeev Kumar*

In a tragic incident in May 2019 two people were killed due to manual scavenging in Bhagya Vihar, Delhi. On 7th May 2019, five informal workers were made to clean the septic tank of a private household where two workers died due to asphyxiation and three workers were left severely injured. One of the workers, Sher Singh, was left critically injured from the incident.

Sher Singh was a Dalit migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh and worked as a daily wage labourer. For many hours he lay unconscious inside the septic tank and the exposure to poisonous gasses caused grievous harm to his health. He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and many other life threatening diseases.

Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) had conducted a fact finding of the case and found that Sher Singh had not received any compensation from the government. We continuously approached the government to avail medical help for Sher Singh but did not get any appropriate help from the government agencies.

Through the help and contribution of many like-minded individuals we were able to raise crowdfunds to support the medical expenses of Sher Singh over the years.

While battling with illness, Sher Singh’s wife Soni had to leave her job to take care of his bedridden husband. Her eldest son had to leave education at the age of 15 and took up informal work to sustain his family. Not only this, Soni and her son have been diagnosed with tuberculosis due to being in direct contact with Sher Singh.

Sher Singh and Soni have three school going daughters who are diagnosed with various illnesses due to lack of proper nutrition and sanitation facilities in the household.

On 8 June 2024, after battling for his life for five years Sher Singh passed away. Many have helped Sher Singh’s family by providing monetary support for his medical expenses in the last five years.

While one is grieved at Sher Singh’s death, one must also remember how the state failed him and continues to fail many victims of manual scavenging like him. The effects of the incident are irreversible and have altered the life of all the family members.

The family is left with no source of income and there is no means to pay for the medical expenses or even buy daily household ration

While grieving the loss of their husband and father, the family has been struck by another tragedy caused due to the same incident. Sher Singh’s eldest son, is in a critical condition and is admitted in Lala Ram Saroop TB Hospital, New Delhi as he is not responding to medications.

The burden of sustaining his family by doing daily wage work and taking care of his ailing father caused his health to deteriorate. The doctors state that his tuberculosis has gotten worse and he has to be admitted in the hospital for the next five to six weeks.

Soni is left with no option but to be by her son’s side while he battles for his life. Once again the family is left with no source of income and there is no means to pay for the medical expenses or even buy daily household ration for the children. Soni cannot afford proper food, daily medicines, and travel for regular hospital visits which is essential for her son’s recovery.

Appealing for help (click here for bank details) from concerned individuals to Sher Singh's family, DASAM condemned the state’s inaction towards banning the practice of manual scavenging and not taking measures to rehabilitate the families of victims. The government must give due compensation to the family members and take cognisance of the effects of their negligence.

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*Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)

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