Thu Sep 18 21:51:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Supreme Court of India has fined the Delhi Government’s Public Works Department (PWD) ₹5 lakh for violating its orders against manual sewer cleaning. Laborers, including a minor, were found cleaning drains without protective gear near the court, despite the court’s October 2023 prohibition. The court expressed strong disapproval of the PWD’s disregard for its orders and warned that further violations could lead to FIRs being filed against responsible officials. The case arose from a public interest litigation highlighting the persistence of manual scavenging.

**News Article:**

**Delhi PWD Fined ₹5 Lakh for Violating Manual Scavenging Ban, Supreme Court Warns of Further Action**

**NEW DELHI, September 19, 2025** – The Supreme Court today slapped a ₹5 lakh penalty on the Delhi Government’s Public Works Department (PWD) for blatant disregard of its orders banning manual sewer cleaning. The ruling came after laborers, including a minor, were discovered cleaning drains without proper safety equipment outside the court premises on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria sharply criticized the PWD for flouting the court’s October 2023 directive prohibiting the dangerous practice. The fine is to be paid to the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis within four weeks.

“It would be reasonable to impose a cost for having undertaken such work,” the bench stated, referencing photographic evidence submitted to the court. The court further warned that all officials, not just those within the PWD, needed to take the issue seriously and comply with the court’s directives “in letter and spirit.”

Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar, acting as amicus curiae, brought the violation to the court’s attention, emphasizing that video evidence showed a minor involved in the hazardous work. He said that despite attempts to file a police complaint at the Tilak Marg station, neither the police nor the PWD had taken adequate action.

“This is not merely a labour law violation, rather, it is a breach of constitutional obligations,” Parameshwar asserted.

The court expressed concern that its previous orders had either not reached the relevant officials or were being deliberately ignored. While refraining from ordering the immediate registration of FIRs against officials, the court made it clear that future violations resulting in injury or death would trigger such action.

“At this stage, we desist from doing so for the simple reason that no incident has occurred and to ensure that neither the officials nor the contractor appointed by them allow the worker to enter the drain or soft water drain or sewer without protective gear,” the court stated.

The case is part of an ongoing public interest litigation highlighting the persistence of manual scavenging, a practice outlawed in India due to its hazardous and degrading nature.

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