Sanitation Workers: Safeguarding Their Health during the Monsoon Season

When we envision the nation we aspire to become, we envision a $5 Trillion economy, we see our UPI platform gaining international prominence, we’re proud of possessing the world’s second-largest road network, and look forward to Mission AYUSH and ABHA brining quality healthcare to the masses. 

In the backdrop of these inspiring images, the nation we see is a shining example of prosperity: our roads, cities, offices, factories, and schools all gleaming with progress. Our people appear healthy, energetic, and mostly content, enjoying prosperity and happiness. The realisation that this vision is now within our reach is largely attributed to the world’s largest sanitation program, the Swachh Bharat Mission.

The Swachh Bharat Mission, the largest program of its kind, has exceeded expectations by significantly improving the quality of life for not only the impoverished sections of society but for everyone. A mere decade ago, our living spaces were drastically different from what they are today – there are now toilets available for every Indian, be it at schools, workplaces, on roads, railways, in public spaces, and within our homes.

Nevertheless, providing access to toilets alone does not automatically change mindsets. Many Indians, especially in rural areas, still view toilets as unnecessary. In urban India, most of us see sanitation work as somehow ‘beneath’ us. In fact, most of us aren’t even taught how to clean our own toilets. Is it any surprise our public toilets are often as dirty as they are? 

We rely heavily on sanitation workers to keep our toilets clean, and yet, these people are often unfairly treated and ostracised, even today. Most sanitation workers often work in extremely hazardous conditions. The work is often dangerous – involving workers having to handle human excrement by hand, entering into septic tanks that contain noxious gases that can cause them to lose consciousness. They are also, in general, prone to infections, injuries and diseases that arise from poor (or absent) worker safety policies. Many sanitation workers aren’t even provided basic protective gear like gloves, footwear and masks. 

Challenges Faced by Sanitation Workers During Monsoon

The challenges sanitation workers face tend to multiply during the monsoon season: 

• Increased exposure to waterborne diseases due to heavy rainfall and flooding: Sanitation workers are often in direct contact with rainwater, sewage, and solid waste, which can harbour harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, leptospirosis, and diarrhoea. 
• Higher risk of accidents and injuries while working in slippery and muddy conditions:  They also have to deal with heavy equipment and vehicles that can pose a threat to their safety.
• Possibility of encountering hazardous waste and contaminated materials washed away by rainwater: Sanitation workers may come across medical waste, chemical waste, electronic waste, or radioactive waste that can pose serious health risks if not handled properly. They may also encounter dead animals, human remains, or explosives that can cause physical or psychological trauma.
• Lack of proper infrastructure and safety equipment exacerbating health risks: Sanitation workers often lack access to basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, showers, and changing rooms. They also lack adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) like raincoats, boots, gloves, masks, goggles, and helmets that can protect them from exposure to harmful substances and injuries.

Providing Adequate Protective Measures

There are some basic measures employers can take that can have an outsized impact on the health and well-being of sanitation workers: 

• Providing sufficient and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to all sanitation workers, and ensuring their proper use and maintenance.
• Providing access to clean water, soap and toilets at work sites and depots, and encouraging regular handwashing and personal hygiene practices.
• Providing training and awareness on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards and practices, such as avoiding contact with live wires, flooded areas and sharp objects, and seeking medical attention in case of injuries or illnesses.
• Providing social security benefits, such as health insurance, sick leave and compensation for injuries or illnesses, to all sanitation workers, regardless of their employment status or contract type.
• Recognizing and respecting the work and dignity of sanitation workers, and promoting their inclusion and participation in decision-making processes related to their work.

The Winds of Change

At the end of the first phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2019, India’s Prime Minister, in a symbolic gesture, washed the feet of five sanitation workers. This sent a powerful message to the entire nation that sanitation workers are an essential part of society and their work needs to be recognized and respected.

Harpic, India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has been championing the cause of sanitation workers for years now. Harpic set up India’s first World Toilet College in 2016, with the stated objective of improving the quality of life of manual scavengers through their rehabilitation by linking them with dignified livelihood options. The college operates as a knowledge sharing platform with an aim to uplift the lives of the sanitation workers by educating them about their rights, health hazards, use of technology and alternate livelihood skills. Workers trained by the college are provided placement with various organisations. Following the successful proof of concept in Rishikesh, World Toilet Colleges have opened in Maharashtra, Aurangabad, in partnership with Harpic, Jagran Pehel and Maharashtra Government. 

Harpic’s creation of World Toilet Colleges uplifts the entire profession – no longer is it seen as unskilled, dirty work. It is now seen as a profession that requires specific skills and training; and sanitation workers are seen as trained, skilled professionals performing essential services. 

Building Empathy Through Awareness and Education 

Harpic and News18 came together to create Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. It advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility. 

Mission Swachhta aur Paani does a great job in communicating the nuances that are sometimes missed. Earlier this year, as a part of an event for World Health Day, Mission Swachhta aur Paani gave voice to several sanitation workers from Harpic World Toilet colleges, and showcased their stories. Padma Shri Usha Chaumar (Former sanitation worker, now President of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation) also spoke about her journey: from being ostracised against, to being recognised as a Swachhta Hero who is a regular on panels and discussions on the larger sanitation issues. 

It was an eye opening discussion. And that, ultimately, is what awareness done well looks like. Once we open our eyes to the plight of the sanitation worker and how easy it is to alleviate some of their suffering, we can’t go back to a world where people have to pick up excrement by hand or enter septic tanks without safety lines or unnecessarily expose themselves to pathogens and other risks. 

This is how the world changes – by learning and seeing. Join us here, to learn more about how you can amplify our message of equality, safety and dignity for all.