Sun Mar 30 09:36:56 UTC 2025: ## Mumbai MP Exposes Continued Manual Scavenging in 2025, Demands Action
**MUMBAI, March 28, 2025** – Congress MP Varsha Eknath Gaikwad has condemned the ongoing practice of manual scavenging in Mumbai, sharing a video purportedly showing a sanitation worker entering a manhole without protective gear in Bandra. Gaikwad stated the video, filmed in 2025, highlights the failure to eradicate this illegal and inhumane practice despite a 2013 law banning it and numerous Supreme Court rulings mandating worker safety.
The MP’s tweet highlighted the stark reality that manual scavenging persists, even in affluent areas like Bandra. She emphasized that the incident was not part of a civic project, but rather private work in a residential society, indicating widespread societal complicity. Gaikwad called for immediate action against the private contractors involved, urging strict penalties and enforcement of the law. She also appealed to citizens to refrain from employing such contractors, stating that doing so is not only illegal but morally reprehensible.
“This is not just illegal, it is a stain on our collective conscience,” Gaikwad declared, adding, “We must end it now, not with another policy, but with collective responsibility.”
While government data from July 2024 reported that 732 out of 766 districts had declared themselves manual scavenging-free, and significant investment has been made in mechanization through the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban 2.0), Gaikwad’s video serves as a stark reminder of the challenges in fully eradicating this practice. The availability of over 5,000 septic tank vehicles, 1,100 Hydrovac machines, and 1,000 desilting machines across states seemingly hasn’t fully addressed the issue. Gaikwad’s actions call for renewed focus on enforcement and a deeper societal commitment to eliminating this hazardous practice.
First Piper 