The invisible lives of sanitation workers who clean Mumbai’s drains to keep it from drowning

Seasonal sanitation workers from rural Maharashtra migrated to Mumbai’s slums to desilt stormwater drains before the monsoon. Despite the risks, they cleaned drains, manholes, and septic tanks, often using bare hands. Workers, including children, faced dangerous conditions, sometimes entering sewers in violation of the 2013 Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers Act. The BMC allocated ₹243 crore and hired agencies for desilting, but workers endured hazardous tasks with little safety enforcement. Activists demanded that these workers be classified as manual scavengers for rehabilitation, but the BMC denied their classification, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and unsafe conditions.