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ISLAMABAD: The Union government in India has told Lok Sabha (Parliament) that 622 sanitation workers have died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks across India since 2017, even as it maintained that sanitation work is an &ldquo;occupation-based&rdquo; activity rather than caste-driven, Indian media reported on Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on March 17, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale presented state-wise data on fatalities linked to hazardous sanitation work. The response came to a question raised by Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary. According to the data, compensation has been fully disbursed to 539 affected families, while 25 families received only half payments. However, 52 families have not received any compensation at all, and six cases were closed without resolution. In Uttar Pradesh alone, 13 families received no compensation and three cases were closed. The highest number of deaths was recorded in Uttar Pradesh (86), followed by Maharashtra (82), Tamil Nadu (77), Haryana (76), Gujarat (73), and Delhi (62). The government did not specify the amount of compensation paid in each case. Athawale also stated that a &ldquo;fresh survey&rdquo; conducted under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 found no manual scavengers in any district of the country. This claim contrasts with earlier surveys in 2013 and 2018, which identified 58,098 manual scavengers nationwide, including 32,473 in Uttar Pradesh. Activist groups have challenged the government&rsquo;s position. In 2025, the Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) called for immediate FIR registrations and independent judicial inquiries into such deaths. The organization reported 116 deaths linked to manual scavenging in 2024 and 158 in 2025.&nbsp; The issue has also drawn judicial scrutiny. In January last year, the Supreme Court of India ordered a ban on manual scavenging in six metropolitan cities, criticizing the Union government for ambiguity in its efforts to eradicate the practice. Despite official claims of progress, complaints from workers persist. The government acknowledged receiving 842 complaints from across states and union territories, including 130 from Uttar Pradesh, citing issues such as unpaid wages, lack of safety equipment, and caste-based discrimination. Under the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE), aimed at improving safety and dignity for sanitation workers, 89,248 sewer and septic tank workers and 234,425 waste pickers have been validated as of March 12. This includes 12,424 sanitation workers and 35,641 waste pickers in Uttar Pradesh. The government said earlier rehabilitation programs for manual scavengers have now been integrated into the NAMASTE scheme, which it claims will enhance worker safety and ensure full rehabilitation. &nbsp;However, the continued deaths, compensation gaps, and worker complaints highlight ongoing concerns about the implementation of these measures and the persistence of hazardous sanitation practices in the country, the report said.

A manual scavenger looks on as he cleans a manhole in the old quarters of New Delhi. | Chandan Khanna/AFP

India

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on March 17, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale presented state-wise data on fatalities linked to hazardous sanitation work; the response came to a question raised by Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary.

India reports 622 sewer cleaning deaths since 2017 amid safety concerns

ISLAMABAD: Government data presented in the lower house of the Indian parliament, Lok Sabha, has revealed that nearly three-fourths of the Air India Group&rsquo;s aircraft fleet has been flagged for recurring technical defects following inspections conducted since January last year.&nbsp; The data was shared on Thursday by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in response to questions in the House, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/crash-pakistan-airspace-ban-push-air-india-toward-16-billion-annual-loss" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Indian&nbsp;</a>media. According to the information provided, a total of 754 aircraft across six scheduled airlines were analyzed for repetitive defects during the period under review.&nbsp; Of these, 377 aircraft were found to have recurring deficiencies. Air India Group, which includes&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/father-of-air-india-crash-pilot-seeks-independent-probe" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Air India</a>&nbsp;and Air India Express, accounted for a significant share of the findings.&nbsp; Out of 267 aircraft analyzed within the group, 191 were identified as having repetitive defects, amounting to nearly 72% of the fleet examined. Specifically, Air India had 166 aircraft analyzed, of which 137 showed recurring defects.&nbsp; Air India Express saw 54 aircraft flagged for repetitive defects out of the 101 aircraft that were inspected. Market leader IndiGo also underwent extensive checks.&nbsp; As of February 3 this year, 405 IndiGo aircraft had been analyzed, with 148 found to have repetitive defects.&nbsp; Other carriers were also part of the analysis.&nbsp; SpiceJet had 43 aircraft examined, of which 16 were identified with recurring defects.&nbsp; Akasa Air, the newest entrant among the airlines analyzed, saw 14 of its 32 aircraft flagged for similar issues. Responding to the data, an Air India spokesperson said that the airline had carried out checks across its fleet &ldquo;out of abundance of caution,&rdquo; which contributed to the higher number of defects being reported, an Indian news agency reported. A senior Air India executive explained that multiple types of equipment are inspected during such checks and are categorized into A, B, C, and D segments based on priority and urgency.&nbsp; The executive said that in Air India&rsquo;s case, most of the issues fall under category D, which includes items such as seats, tray tables, and seat-back screens.&nbsp; These issues, the executive clarified, are not related to aircraft safety. The executive added that as the retrofit program for Air India&rsquo;s narrow-body aircraft is rolled out over the next two years, these issues will also be addressed.

Out of 267 aircraft analyzed within the group, 191 were identified as having repetitive defects, amounting to nearly 72% of the fleet examined.

Air India Group: 72% fleet flagged for recurring defects, data shows

ISLAMABAD: Eight opposition lawmakers on Wednesday from India&rsquo;s Congress party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were suspended from the lower house of Parliament for &lsquo;disruptive&rsquo; conduct, Indian media reported. The lawmakers were expelled from the ongoing Budget Session of the Lok Sabha after they reportedly climbed onto desks and threw papers in protest over opposition leader Rahul Gandhi being prevented from speaking for a second day, Indian media reported. Gandhi has been trying to respond to remarks attributed to former army chief Gen M.M. Naravane about alleged Chinese aggression, mentioned in an unpublished book. In a letter to the parliament&rsquo;s speaker, Gandhi said it was unprecedented for an opposition leader to be stopped from commenting on the President&rsquo;s joint address, which opens each parliamentary year. The suspensions came a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to give his formal reply to the debate on that address. Government sources told local news outlets that Modi&rsquo;s speech would proceed as planned. The confrontation began when Gandhi attempted to authenticate a newspaper article related to Naravane&rsquo;s claims, as the Parliament&rsquo;s chair had requested. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objected, claiming Gandhi was defying a ruling that barred discussion of the issue, media reported. Meanwhile, Presiding Officer Tenneti Krishna Prasad halted Gandhi&rsquo;s speech and called other members to speak, but several declined. Disorder followed as lawmakers shouted slogans. One member climbed on the secretary general&rsquo;s table while papers were thrown toward the chair. The session was adjourned before being briefly reconvened, when Presiding Officer Dilip Saikia announced the suspensions. Gandhi later wrote to the speaker stating there was a deliberate effort to silence him on national security issues.

A view of the lower house of the Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha, chamber. (Digital Sansad Media Gallery)

Eight opposition lawmakers were suspended after protests erupted in India’s Parliament when opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was blocked from addressing claims by a former army chief about Chinese border tensions.

Articles tagged with "Lok Sabha"

India reports 622 sewer cleaning deaths since 2017 amid safety concerns

Air India Group: 72% fleet flagged for recurring defects, data shows

Chaos in India’s Parliament as 8 opposition members suspended