- Persistent deaths during manual sewer cleaning highlight severe systemic failure and non-compliance with statutory bans and safety protocols. - Despite explicit legal prohibitions under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, informal and hazardous sanitation work continues. - Urban local bodies frequently outsource sanitation work to contractors, bypassing accountability and denying workers basic protective gear. - Addressing this crisis requires stringent enforcement of laws, mandatory mechanisation of urban sanitation, and robust socio-economic rehabilitation for vulnerable communities. - **Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act:** A landmark 2013 Indian legislation that legally bans manual scavenging in all forms, prohibits hazardous manual sewer cleaning without safety gear, and mandates identification, rehabilitation, and financial compensation for affected individuals. - **NAMASTE Scheme:** A joint central sector scheme by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and MoHUA aimed at achieving zero fatalities in sanitation work by promoting mechanisation and capacity building. - **National Commission for Safai Karamcharis:** A non-statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tasked with studying, evaluating, and recommending programs for the socio-economic rehabilitation and welfare of sanitation workers. **Introduction** The article addresses the persistent crisis of sewer cleaning deaths in India, examining the gaps in legislative implementation, institutional apathy, and the failure of urban local bodies to eradicate hazardous manual scavenging through mechanisation and accountability. **Core Issue and Detailed Points** - Persistent deaths during manual sewer cleaning highlight severe systemic failure and non-compliance with statutory bans and safety protocols. - Despite explicit legal prohibitions under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, informal and hazardous sanitation work continues. - Urban local bodies frequently outsource sanitation work to contractors, bypassing accountability and denying workers basic protective gear. - Addressing this crisis requires stringent enforcement of laws, mandatory mechanisation of urban sanitation, and robust socio-economic rehabilitation for vulnerable communities. **Key Statutory Bodies, Acts & Concepts** - **Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act:** A landmark 2013 Indian legislation that legally bans manual scavenging in all forms, prohibits hazardous manual sewer cleaning without safety gear, and mandates identification, rehabilitation, and financial compensation for affected individuals. - **NAMASTE Scheme:** A joint central sector scheme by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and MoHUA aimed at achieving zero fatalities in sanitation work by promoting mechanisation and capacity building. - **National Commission for Safai Karamcharis:** A non-statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tasked with studying, evaluating, and recommending programs for the socio-economic rehabilitation and welfare of sanitation workers.