Desludging operations, Indian style: Observations in an Indian city

Abstract

India, as a continuum of time and space for more than 5000 years old, has its own time-tested methods to deal with the harsh realities of everyday living. Present studies on sanitation across the country have not looked at, observed, recognized and acknowledged these methods.

The paper began as a result of a Need Assessment Study to initiate a process of understanding various kinds of occupational safety and health related issues with desludging workers in a certain Indian city and comprehend how these hazards and risks can be minimized through addressal in protection, prevention and mitigation.

The desludging workers belong to an unorganized business sector that is dominated by a certain caste, in the larger societal domain. Their technological understanding, entrepreneurial spirit, business traits, life philosophies, etc. have been very useful in understanding their responses towards hazards in the occupation. They are aware of the importance of safety gears, but don’t use any of them, for several reasons.

While many recommendations were suggested in protection, prevention and mitigation, and a basic sample kit of safety gears was created, this paper is an attempt to document the indigenous methods and technological interventions in desludging operations that has been learnt from the ground through interviews, conversations, observations, reflections and the author’s multi-disciplinary experience as a social- ethnographical researcher. All stakeholders’ insights have been recorded on the basis of thematic concerns of existing safety gears, suggestions for better safety gears, health and problems, establishments, indigenous methods, daily schedule, stigma and discrimination, septic tank and proposed solutions. They have their own means and methods at work- some traditional, some modern, some irrational, some eye- opening, some technology driven, some just gut- feeling driven and have also used technology to their betterment.

Introduction

This paper is a result of a funded study to understand the health and safety risks, threats and hazards faced by desludging workers. The author is indebted to the project lead and the clients for this opportunity to interact with the desludging workers. In Mumbai, my birth city, septic tanks and desludging activities were unheard of. This was the first time I saw the activity of desludging. Laden with the adjectives of upper caste, upper middle class, English educated, urban/ cosmopolitan, and the presumption that desludging is demeaning and deprives its practitioners of human rights of living a life with dignity, and that we are here to ‘help’ them to make a better work space, my interactions began with them. However, all presumptions were taken care of, one by one.

When we were introduced to them one by one, they greeted us with generous hearts. They let them into their work space, their lives, their profession, their methods, their clients, their philosophies, and their lovely little cute stories. They made us a part of everything they knew. They taught us whatever they could, in the available time. They did not look at us with skepticism or contempt or any other ways that we would approach a stranger. It felt like we were friends for a very long time and we knew each other already. This was despite the language barrier, as I don’t know the native language.

But just one smile and saying hello, that was enough to become their friend. A certain person wore these very trendy watches that intrigued me. I asked him how many watches he has. He has three of them. He wore three different kinds of religious marks on his forehead. When asked why, he said he believed in all gods. His friend, the worker, looked so ordinary and I thought what can I ask him? But the moment we asked about safety gears, he poured out all his ‘knowledge’, without any arrogance or so much of quietude. He was so composed. I wondered- is that how one interacts when he is knowledgeable? Clearly, I am yet to reach that stage.

The other owner cum driver was a part of history of technological intervention in the process of desludging. He had come back to his land, his people; he quit his military job. His friend, the worker, had his moustaches groomed like his favorite god. Ever since his wife died, his only friend has taken very good care of him. The friendship of Jay- Veeru in ‘Sholay’ is not fiction.

The only woman in the profession wore her saree so immaculately. She rode a scooty to work and helped her husband on site after finishing her household chores and sending her children to school. The ambition clearly floated in her eyes. She wanted to buy another vehicle. She didn’t mind the high loans that she had to pay for her current vehicle.  She knew that she had to work hard to make a better life for herself and her family, including her brothers and sisters, with the work that she knows and the technical skills that she has learnt from her husband.

That young man, a driver with one of the big companies (septic tank unit), married just months ago, went on doing the mechanical job of emptying the septic tank and the vehicle with the same precision as the last time.  He hopes of leaving this job soon, because he will surely become a police constable. But, not for a moment, does he think that he hates this job. It gives him money to keep his family happy.

His other counterpart was a driver for a MLA, earlier. Did this job make him feel worse for himself? He says it is the same, I carried sludge then, I do that now.

That man, in his late 40s, was a driver and came by train from another city. He showed me his monthly pass. Did he have to? He was just very genuine. He went back home every alternate day, after completing a 24 hour shift.

That man, the only one who was not married despite being 30 years old, knew no other work. With the only work that he knows, he has made three houses- one for his sister, one for his parents, and one for himself. His house is full of all amenities, his friends say. Now he will get married, because he has a house for himself. He claimed that he has cleaned a tank manually in two hours.

I see him every time I go to the decanting station. I have not been able to interact with him. I think he is a bit cunning. When I show him the safety gears, he wants to take them home. When I translate his interview, I realize that some people had met him about safety gears, and just taken his photo and left. I understand his aloofness. I greet him the next time I see him.

On the other side of the town, I couldn’t meet many of them. But the first driver and worker duo just began to talk with us generally and provided us with their inputs on safety gears shown by us.

The other three people, one driver and two workers, were on their ‘canvasing’ round in a nearby locality. My translator friend is a very magical person, with his innate ability to befriend anyone. These guys were no exception. Two sentences and there you are my friend. We know each other from long ago. When the septic tank opened, they burnt a newspaper to check if there were poisonous gases. The air vent was right there. Was it to really check the gases or was it to impress us? It didn’t matter. We had our breakfast together after the cleaning ritual (explained later).A big round of selfies and full stomach is what I wish to remember. But this old man said something, “My son has his septic tank, I don’t work with him. I work with my friend. If I work with my son, I will have to ask him for money. I get my salary here; I live a life of dignity.” OK, I look at myself again.

The owners of these septic tank units were really smart businessmen. Looking forward to technological innovation, they are abreast of every new cleaning device in the market. They strategize their business goals to align with a vision of at least 10 years. They take care of their workers and drivers like their own sons. Like the benevolent master, they give them advance salary whenever required; give leaves for attending social and religious functions. They also resolve their interpersonal family issues; they shout or reprimand someone else in the family, if required. They have taught them the tricks of the trade. They have ensured that their employees are constantly in communication with them and with each other. If his worker has met with an accident (big or small) while on work, they rush him to the best medical facilities, and take care of all medical expenditure. They don’t allow them to work, till they are physically and mentally sound. They have company insurance that takes care of its employees. And, yet, if anyone has come to the office drunk, he isn’t allowed to go to work. He is sent home immediately. This discipline has ensured that there are no fatalities in their profession. They are the most sought after people in the sector, because their work is very clean and meticulous.

Owner 1 also has a pig- rearing farm and he exports pork. His son wants to join him despite his engineering degree, and he has set up a flex and vinyl printing press also. He, along with his friends, bought technological interventions to the industry (elaborated later).Owner 2, who doesn’t belong to the Kuravars caste, wants to bring swanky machines for cleaning.  Owner 3 is very proud of his lineage, and was the only person to talk about the history of his community. His family has been doing this work of manual scavenging for three generations. I wish I had the time to understand their means of working, vision building, business strategies, management of human resources, marketing strategies, purely from their perspective. Thankfully, none of them are educated beyond 10^th, and are guided by personal ambition and social responsibility.

Traces of history

The desludging operations are dominated by the Kuravars primarily. The term ‘Kuruvar’ comes from the combination of the words ‘Kundra’ and ‘Avan’, which means hill man. They are the tribal natives of Kurinji hills, along with other natives[1]. Till the time when the British came, they owned large tracts of land and were the kings of their dominion. According to popular lore, the British played foul with them and they lost their native lands. They had to move from the hills to the plains. They have now forgotten that rich past and have categorized themselves across Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes and Other Castes. A small political movement demands to give them Scheduled Tribes status, as their history denotes. They have settled in urban settlements as bead sellers, newspaper bag makers, palm leaf fans and plates makers. Those in this city amount to 5000 and dominate the desludging industry. They haven’t been doing this work for generations, and there is no reason they have to continue doing the same. They weren’t part of the traditional caste system; they had their own indigenous traditional and time-tested systems in governance, religion, medicine, gender roles, et al. But while they don’t remember most of their proud history, they must be appreciated for the entrepreneurial spirit and their frugal technological innovation (in this industry, at least) in the 21^st century.

The profession of desludging

One still doesn’t know what exactly made them take up manual scavenging, but it has been recorded in the interviews that they have been in this profession for three generations. They cleaned the septic tanks by taking the sludge out bucket by bucket, fill them in coconut oil cans, tied them with a rope on the shoulders and carry them in the outer areas. Someone recorded carrying sludge on bicycle and tricycle. Owner 1 said that his friend and him connected the black sintex tank (meant for storing water) with an oil motor, put it on a cart and carried out the collected sludge to the outskirts. They later,  after losing his animal cart, bought a mini lorry, installed a 24 volt Kirloskar engine with a 2200 mini barrel. This was a huge intervention. They thought it would speed up the work (they don’t think about not touching the sludge).But there was a big problem- its motor pipe was very small and kept getting disconnected. And it became a very tedious and time-consuming task.

“The motor pipe was very small and would come out, so it would take a lot of time, I could only complete 2 houses. We would fill the pipe with water, and only then it was possible to prevent air block. Liquid material would be easily carried out, but if there was cloth or any solid material, we had to stop the motor, clear the block and then start the process again. Then we would only use this motor to suck the liquid, and we would pick the rest of the solid waste by bucket. 4 laborers were required for this. My father had his own lorry from his pig business. He gave it to me and I took it to STP Ambatoor Chennai and got it customized. I got another one also made, later. STP is the pioneer in making this vehicle. I also got two more later. Only one driver and one worker were required then. I could complete 10 houses then.”

-          Owner 1

Necessity is the mother of invention, they proved. THEY DID NOT HAVE TO TOUCH SLUDGE ANYMORE! THEY PAVED THE WAY FOR HEALTHY COMPETITION IN BUSINESS! Now was the time for putting your best foot forward, innovative marketing practices, best client services, disciplined and focused actions, now was the time for the ‘survival of the fittest’- whether you could become a successful businessman or become a worker, was all based on your focus, potential, ambition and passion.

Indigenous methods to aid desludging operations

Their technical acumen and technological expertise are at the core of their desludging operations. How they have derived these methods, is a question that remains to be asked. But following have been noted:

•           When they reach the site, both the driver and the worker look for:

1)     the nearest distance between the vehicle and the septic tank, to assess how many pipes will be required to cover the distance

2)     the nature of the covering of the septic tank, what tools will be required to break the covering

3)     the size of the septic tank, including its depth, length, and width

•          They are obviously of the biggest health and safety hazard- poisonous gases and deaths caused by them. Once they have reached the septic tank, the first thing that they check is an air vent and its location. A well placed air vent is the first step to know if septic tank will have poisonous gas.
•           They think of cockroaches as their best friends. Once they open a septic tank, and if they see cockroaches, they will be very sure that there is no poisonous gas in the tank. It is safe to clean the tank. If they don’t see cockroaches, then they check it with other methods.
•           The next method is with the fire- either through a match stick or a lamp in the bucket, or a candle or a newspaper. If the fire extinguishes, it indicates the deficiency of oxygen. If the fire burns brightly, there is presence of methane and other toxic gases in the tank.
•           The other method to check poisonous gases is to observe the sedimentation layers on the slab. If the sediments are white in color, it means that there are poisonous gases. The yellow color strongly indicates the presence of poisonous gases.
•         If they still aren’t sure about the presence of poisonous gases, they keep the tank open for about 5- 30 minutes. This is how they ensure their safety.
•           It is very important to point out that the workers don’t just connect the pipes and dip them in the tank and the process of emptying the tank happens on its own. The worker has to be very alert throughout the emptying time. One of the most important tasks in the desludging operation is to navigate the pipe inside the septic tank to pull out sludge. It increases the efficiency of the suction. The worker puts the pipe bit by bit in the sludge. The reason to do this is to pull the sludge without encountering any blockage. As the amount of sludge decreases, the pipe is put further down, and the whole process is repeated. If any foreign objects block the entrance of the pipe, the pipe is taken out to the edge of the septic tank, the foreign objects are pulled out and the pipe is put back into the tank. Through this exercise, the entire tank is emptied.
•           If the sludge is thick, moving and maneuvering the pipe in the sludge is difficult. He is able to decipher this through the pressure that he feels on his hands, while dipping the pipe.
•          Getting into a septic tank is always the last resort. They are aware of the law prohibiting the act of getting inside the tank. However, there are situations when they have to get inside (especially in the case of clearing blockages). They take great care while getting inside, and are accompanied with the other worker/ driver above the ground. It is a well co-ordinated effort, laden with communication and efficient motor skills.
•          The workers wash their hands and feet with soap and water, every time they get in contact with sludge- since they are aware of health risks associated with their profession.
•          Coconut oil is the best precautionary medicine for them. A thick layer of coconut prevents any sludge to get in touch with their skin. They apply coconut oil on their feet and hands every morning and evening after shower.

The need for documentation of these methods is crucial because these are the methods that define the current practices on the ground. They also indicate that these people have an acumen and understanding of their own. In documenting these methods, the paper suggests that these feedbacks be incorporated in a making an informed decision while suggesting and making any interventions of sorts. 

Cleanliness is godliness, not next to godliness

Dark and Lustrous skin, well- kempt oiled hair, a shirt or t- shirt, sometimes a brown uniform shirt; lungi most of the times, jeans sometimes, average height between 5”5’ to 6”, religious marks on their forehead sometimes, sometimes not. They never smell bad; nor did they reek of alcohol. A typical day begins at 5 or 6 am. After having taken a shower, put coconut oil on their hands and legs and praying to their gods, they take breakfast and leave for work at around 7 am. They reach their parking stands or offices around 8- 8 30 am.

They are very much aware of all the harmful effects of their profession. They wash their hands and legs every time they empty the tank or the vehicle, at the site or at the decanting station. They have iterated that they wash their hands and legs, in their conversation. Video documentation and passive modes of observations have also confirmed the same. A certain NGO has been working with urban slums in this city to teach personal hygiene and the importance of washing hands after every activity that might be hazardous to health for the past 20 years. It has been difficult to know whether this is an inculcated habit or whether it was a part of their tradition. The point is that they do wash their hands and legs after every emptying activity. Certain experts in their responses have commented that they don’t wash their hands and therefore there is a greater chance of contacting communicable stomach related diseases. The ground reality seems to be different though.

They respect their vehicles like gods. They remove their footwear while their feet are on the clutch and accelerator, as if they have entered a temple. Mind you, they have just cleaned every part of the vehicle, like they do every day. They also wash their vehicle from the inside once every month. They paint their vehicles from the inside every year. In one of the images, we did see the beautiful blue colored interiors of the vehicle. Belonging to the 21^st century, I thought all of us would have made gods into nothing more than pretty pictures, but they have their gods every time with them, in the form of their vehicles. How can anything untoward happen to them, when their gods are with them?

They say that they do know how to take care of their health. They drink a lot of water, eat 3 times a day, and wash their hands every time they touch the sludge, yes they consume alcohol, but only after they have finished all the work and the duties. That is their me-time; their time to be themselves, not a desludging worker, not a cleaner; not an outcaste.

Is this job actually dirty?

Well, in old times, the 3 compartment design of a septic tank was very conducive for the conversion of fecal sludge into manure. Its design allowed for filtering of water and separation of solid waste from water. As the sludge settled and water separated, it was possible for pathogens to disintegrate the sludge into night soil and manure. This solid waste converted into manure in a period of 3-6 months. To clean a septic tank meant getting this manure out of the tank for further use in agriculture.

It might just be imperative to add here that a septic tank was first designed for the cold and harsh climates of Europe. The design of a septic tank was conceived so that the necessary temperature could be maintained for the pathogens to break down the fecal sludge into manure.

However, in the Indian context with its temperate and humid climate, the anaerobic process of pathogens breaking down the bacteria was happening on the ground (the abundance of fiber in the fecal sludge also speed up the process) itself, as the temperature was just right for the conversion.

But in today’s time, chemicals, in the form of toilet and bathroom cleaners, shampoos, detergents, mix with sludge. To add to this, the new design of septic tank, without any compartments, does not allow for separation of solid and liquid waste. The septic tank has become a holding tank simply, rather than a place for creating manure. This fecal sludge, today, has become a mix of chemical waste and therefore is toxic, harmful and fatal in nature. The chemicals and the water content in the sludge do not allow the pathogens to break down the sludge in the tank.

Today, this sludge is no more than just a chemical waste. In earlier times, farmers requested the desludging workers to dump the waste they collected on their fields. Today, the sludge has no takers. It is said that after the sludge has been filtered at the main pumping station, all solid waste gets converted into manure. Whether this manure is taken by farmers, is a matter to be probed in.

It wasn’t a dirty job, in those times, but it surely is very hazardous right now. Detailed studies must be taken up to understand the true characteristics of sludge and the potential hazards that it might pose. We, as a cumulative, can, at best, only speculate on the basis of our previous experiences, but we never know, this might be an entirely different ballgame altogether. The point here is that the activity of desludging and the final sold waste must be examined and understood in greater details. Its characteristics and uses have to be learned from newer perspectives and invite different discussions.

How much of it is hazardous?

Poisonous Gases: Present day septic tanks can be death tanks, if they don’t have a proper air circulation. Certain septic tanks don’t have proper air ventilation and poisonous gases like hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, methane, carbon monoxide, etc. accumulate. This is the biggest reason of death in septic tanks. Those interviewed speak about one big accident some 5- 7 years ago, when three people died in the septic tank. When one worker fell unconscious in the tank, the other went to rescue him, and also fell unconscious. They were also relatives, they went inside the tank to save each other, but had to pay with their lives. But the desludging operators are very experienced in this city. There claimed that there have not been any accidents in this city. All respondents unanimously support the opinion of Owner 1:

“We are very particular about our work-ethics, we have been doing it for ages. In other cases, may be they are not experienced and enter the space without caution, then such episodes happen. Another reason of life loss in other areas is that new workers don’t know about gas sealed in the septic tank. Even industrial workers, who work with chemicals every day, don’t know the magnificence of gas inside the fully covered septic tank. I have seen such fully covered septic tanks. We light a match stick to check the gas. If the flame is blue in color, we get cautious. We ask the client to keep the tank open for two days. Then we go and clean. These industrial workers don’t know how to do it. One worker enters the tank and the others try to save him, but in this process, they all die. That is because they don’t know the process.”

Secondary research across the globe indicates that getting exposed to sludge could be a source of communicable diseases. However, when consulted with health and safety experts about these issues, their opinion was unanimous. To quote them:

“I have not heard of any skin related infections or allergies due to contact with feces. I am not come across any such studies on how desludging workers contact diseases by sludge. The sewerage workers do contact leptospirosis, coming out of rat urine, but that is also caused if they don’t maintain personal hygiene. There cannot be any disease even after prolonged contact with sludge.”

Dr S V, HOD, Department of Dermatovenereology

“No microbial infections can spread unless personal hygiene is compromised upon. Any pathogens or bacteria that pass through feces get killed in the septic tank because of high acid levels, within a day.  So any kind of contact with feces is not a potential danger to the desludging worker. They could get hurt while slipping in the tank, or may get bruises or cut. This can be cured through first aid. Any poisonous gas in the septic tank is a potential risk for death. Therefore the mask and gloves must be an important part.”

Dr D P, HOD and Professor, Microbiology

Who should we look down upon?

Does stigma exist in the society about this profession, about these people? Are they treated differently? Are they looked down upon by the society? Does their family know about and like their profession?  How do their clients interact with them?

Well, the answers aren’t as simple as the act of writing these questions. What does one write? How does one write? What should one write? What picture of the Indian society/ mindset should the words communicate? Will there be a bias? Where will it be biased towards?

When people assume the role of the clients, they recognize the importance of the desludging worker, driver and the owner. They talk politely with them, but they bargain hard with them, to save a hundred rupees also. Some give them extra money because their work was excellent- the tank was clean. The householders interact with them and monitor them constantly. Some might offer tea and food. In commercial establishments, both sides focus their attention to work, as they don’t have to bargain. Their bosses have already cracked the deal. They finish their work and leave. None of them have to deal with each other till the septic tanks are full again. They might not even recognize each other if they crossed each other on the street. But then isn’t it a rosy picture? Where is the stigma, then? Then why am I writing this paper? Owner 1 talks about his experience about water and plastic bottle:

“No longer now. They give us water in one liter plastic water bottle. So there is no need for discrimination. They don’t need the bottle; we crush the bottle after use. Way back in 2000, when I was working on the field, I was offered water is metal vessel, I would drink the water, and wash the vessel again with my clean hands, and return the vessel to them. Next time, they don’t hesitate to give me water in the metal vessel. I think, it is about mutual concern and appreciation for each other.”

For starters, the stigma lies in our understanding of the septic tank. It is thought of a dumping yard, where sanitary napkins, glass bottles, plastic bottles, blades, torn fabrics, undergarments, pens, pencils, and all kinds of unimaginable things can be dumped off. It feels like the septic tank is a pit of atonement, where you can flush all your sins away. LET SOMEONE ELSE DEAL WITH IT, I AM CLEAN. All stakeholders unanimously said, “Why do you want to help us with safety gears? If anyone needs to be helped, it is the people, who need help to understand that this isn’t the way to behave; they have to learn that the septic tank is only meant for fecal sludge and not for foreign objects. We have cut our hands so many times while cleaning the pipes or the tanks. We face injuries because of your misgivings. Yet, we clean everything that you make a mess of. If you want to help, please help yourselves. We don’t really need help.”

Shouldn’t they be looking down upon us? In another episode, a driver narrated about how he was refused tea because of his orange color reflective coat provided by the government. In his own words:

“They have given us the same color code in the jackets, as the police force. This was an issue with the police force- why are they wearing the same color as the cleaning staff. So the police force got green color coat. They have only one coat, which they have to use every time. There is a stigma attached to them, because people know that orange color is for the cleaning staff. For instance, they don’t get served tea immediately, with their coats on, at a tea stall. They are asked to wait forever. So people don’t want to wear these jackets. They feel really bad at such episodes, but officials don’t accept these episodes as issues. They receive water in a plastic container. Yes, most of the society has changed, but there are still some people who believe in this stigma. That’s why we bring our own water and food from home.”

Owner 1 says:

“The customers ask us to clean the entire tank. Sometimes, we tell them are you going to live in this tank? How does it matter? Sometimes they are ok with it, but sometimes they ask us to clean with kerosene or phenyl. I ask them the same question. But people’s attitudes have not changed; they want a clean tank,”

Owner 2 says:

“I don’t worry about other’s thoughts and thinking. I am doing my business honestly and sincerely, so I don’t bother.”

Can there be a marketing campaign, like the Swacchh Bharat Campaign, where we are made aware of the follies that we commit and hurt these hardworking and sincere people in the process? If there were no foreign objects in the tank, there would be no need to go inside the septic tank, there would be just ‘emptying’ of the tank and the desludging workers will, at least, be healthy and not suffer from any occupational health hazard.

Even Corporation recommends, in its plans, recommends two holes, one for sludge removal by pipe, and the other for gas removal.  However there are problems. If the tanks are cleaned every year, no problem arises. If it is not cleaned, the sludge sediments and remain there for long, making it hard to clean. It is advisable to clean every year.

How many safety gears do they want?

Instead of writing in my own language about the stakeholders’ opinions about safety gears, I am quoting their own voices.

“Plastic gloves give boils and blisters on the hands, so I don’t use it, wounds also sometime. It is also very sweaty. I am not able to function properly, because plastic gloves do not provide grip. When I have to use force to remove solid particles by shaking the pipe, gloves are not helpful. I have used it earlier. For 4-5 days, it was ok, but after that I got blisters. Also gloves are not useful for heavy lifting work. Yes corporation provides gloves, they are there in the vehicle, I wear them when supervisors come. We can wear them for one day, not more than that. They give us one pair, one time cleaning is no problem. But we wash hands after every desludging activity, this wetness gives me infection.  Plastic on the outside does not give us grip, so no point.”

We need four sets of gloves for each day. The lifetime of a safety gear can only be only 2 months. We must be given every two months. Otherwise, they will wear and tear and give more infection than right now.”

“One has to remember that wearing gloves is not enough. Some workers remove the gloves and eat food directly, because they think that their hands are safe and clean. But dirt and infection still enters through these gloves. It is of utmost importance to wash hands.”  

“Any footwear in any other material will remain wet and not dry fast, unlike these chappals and might also get damaged in 2-3 days’ time. Paragon and other plastic footwear is sturdy. Water does not stay on the feet and these chappals. Feet dry faster. These chappals dry faster than leather and other kinds of shoes. Even these chappals don’t work beyond 2 months. Holes develop. These chappals are the best. Nothing works better than them. Shoes don’t give grip while climbing up and down the truck when I have to put pipes.”

“I need a new one every day. I wore a mask for two days consecutively, and that smell was much worse than the bad odor in the air. The sweat on the face also makes it wet, and prevents ventilation. It becomes very bad. I feel better this way as the sweat evaporates on its own. Also the exposure timing is 4-5 minutes. After that it is completely closed. No smell after that.”

-          Worker 1

“We also need well ventilated gloves.”

-          Driver 1

“They don’t use it even if I give it to them. That is America, this is our state. We have been doing this work since ages. Also, my workers don’t consume alcohol while on work, so they are conscious and never get into accidents.

Sewage is mixed in our blood, since ages. We live in dirt, our pigs live in dirt, our caste, Koravar, has been doing this for ages. They can get into the tank, clean the sludge, come out and wash themselves with soap and water, they are clean. Common people like you won’t go to these places, even if you go, you will not touch it, even if you touch it, you will wash yourselves with all kinds of soaps and sanitizers, still you won’t be able to eat food, you will be stuck there in your mind. For us, it is enough to wash with soap and water. Now we don’t have to touch the sludge, so my workers ask if it is still important to wear safety gears, and it is ok to not to.

Yes the available gloves are not suitable for the hard work they do. I have purchased all safety gears with my own money. But my workers don’t wear it. They tell me that the speed of the work slows down.

At the parking station, they will obviously not wear the safety gears, the moment they get a call, they run, do the desludging work, and finish their work in 30- 40 minutes. They will have to wash their safety gears also, along with washing their hands and feet. So why use? Their work time is not continuous, unlike in other industries. Some other upper class people wear this, because their mind-set is like that. We don’t belong to that mind-set.  Actually, better safety gears will be beneficial, but it has to be accompanied with stringent monitoring. Once or twice the owner will pay, once or twice the workers will pay, and they will automatically begin to wear the safety gears.“

-          Owner 1

“Government calls us for meeting every two months and instruct us to wear gloves and masks. They give to us. They also have gotten gloves made out of fabric with a tailor friend. I haven’t carried it today, it is at home. We don’t use gloves because it is just a 5 minute job, for one load only. But mask is not required; we are used to the smell. But we need gloves and shoes, as we have to touch the sludge. So intervention is required there.

I tell my workers to wear full clothes, but then we will have to wash clothes also. So they go bare in the tank. Anyways, most of the times, they are bare chested only. I think that you must ask them, I cannot tell you about this. But they put coconut oil before entering the tank. This prevents sludge getting in touch with the body. New septic tanks are cleaned frequently. Because it is mixed with water, it can be sucked out easily. So we don’t have to go inside, so we don’t really need safety gears for the body. These 10% old septic tanks will also go away. So only gloves and shoes are required.”

-          Woman owner

“Some house owners have insisted on us wearing gloves, but my boss has not given me any safety gears, so I haven’t wore any.All this time, we have never wore any safety gears. We have always done this work empty hand, but we also that the materials are not suitable.I have worn all safety gears as a tower construction worker. That work is very dangerous, so I wear it there. This work is not dangerous. But if you make suitable safety gears, then I will wear.

We cannot say if I will wear it regularly. We will use it one or two days, then we will throw it.We have always learnt to do this work with naked hands. Now we don’t have to clean septic tanks. It is simple desludging by pipe. The maximum hard work that we do is to cement the septic tank. With these gloves, it is not possible to do the cementing activity.”

-          Worker 2

“I would like to wear gloves, because I have had skin allergy (itching). I don’t itch in the day time, but in the night, I get a lot of itching. When cleaning the septic tank, when the dirty water comes on to him, he feels itchy that time. I take a bath first and only then I go home. I need gloves upto forearms. I work for 24 hours. I don’t need anything for my feet. In the rainy season I need raincoat. Boots are uncomfortable for me, because of no grip. I don’t need mask also. We take care of our eyes also. We need gloves only.”

-           Worker 3

“No one has given us safety gears. But we don’t want to wear gloves. We can’t hold anything, no grip. It slips if there is water on the pipe. We might need it for a big tank, for not for small tanks. We can’t even move freely, we don’t even wear chappals. We don’t just splash in the sludge; we take measured steps to get into the sludge, because there are broken bottles.”

-          Owner cum Driver 1

“We can’t buy for ourselves; boss has to get it for us. There is only one shop here. If it gets damaged immediately, my brother will scold me. We cannot buy safety gears. We don’t earn so much. Quality is also not good. But if the quality is good, then we will buy, for sure.”

-          Owner cum Driver 2

“I have never used safety gears ever. I think that safety gears are required, but doesn’t know much about availability. If my owner provides me safety gears, I am ready to wear. I need full gloves right above the elbow.

-          Driver 1

“We need liquid soap for cleaning; we need 2 disposable masks in one day; For shoes, conveyor belt material is the best, as it gives grip, is water resistant and should be open and easy to dry; Shoes not suitable for us, if wet sludge enters the shoes, it will be infectious, open footwear is required. If it is a cotton glove, it should not be used for more than 4 days.

-          Driver 2

“I haven’t used safety gears in years. Last year, government gave us instructions to wear safety gears. But during summers, we stopped wearing. And the government also doesn’t monitor. 6 months ago, we wore safety gears last. Two problems in wearing the gloves- in rainy season, gloves become wet and heavy; and in summers, it is very sweaty.

-          Worker 4

“Yes the law is there. We must not enter the septic tank without safety gears. But even in government, they sent their workers to clean blockages without any safety gears. What can we say? In this city, people want us to go inside the septic tank and clean it completely. This is because some times, their septic tanks are in the bedrooms, halls or even kitchen, so they want the tanks to be clean. In outer areas, that is not the case.

We did not know about safety gears till 7 years ago. When we got the vehicle, we were very elated that we don’t have to touch the sludge. When NGOs came and made us aware, then we came to know about it. Once the government organized an exhibition for safety gears, the set was 1000 Rs, we bought two sets, that is when we came to know about safety gears. My workers wear it some time, but I don’t allow my workers to go inside.

Rubber gloves get wet and the pipes slip out of hand, so they remove the glove and finish the work. The mask is very heavy and big, if you give small size mask, we will wear. We also have experience in understanding poisonous gases through the match stick method. Even after cleaning the tank, we don’t allow the person to go inside and clean, because there might be gas residue in the walls. It is also possible that gas can emerge even after keeping the tank open for 30 hours. So the good practice is that do not enter the tank.”

-          Owner 3

“We have safety gears. But there is a problem there. Our staff feels very uncomfortable wearing them. Also, it reduces their working capacity. For example, if they are able to do three loads in an hour, it gets reduced to one and a half hour with the safety gears. In our work, we need safety, and people work with precautions, but the gloves don’t help in doing the actual work. We don’t go inside the septic tank, so we don’t need boots. We just work on the ground. But, yes, gloves are important.”

-          Owner 2

What can be done at various levels?

Recognition in law and policy

Desludging operations have been included in the larger domain of sanitation work or Fecal Sludge Management. But whenever there is any discussion on sanitation, it has been found that desludging operations do not find much space in this domain. On the other hand, they are the only human element in the process chain of fecal sludge management (the Primer on Fecal Sludge and Septage Management, issued by the Ministry of Urban Development, is just one example). However, they don’t find much space in that process too. While developing policies around sanitation and fecal sludge management, it might be a good idea to elaborate on the human element of desludging workers, the issues they face, and solutions must be articulated to make this occupation a source of life of dignity in the society. As a beginning step, a separate recognition to desludging operations might be a good start. This might also help in mitigating legal issues with the act of getting inside the septic tank in a very focused way.

Safety Standard Manual

Findings and studies based on sanitation and sanitary workers, as per the secondary research, have not been found valid for desludging operations. In the same way, existing safety standards for industries and other organized sector have been found inadequate for desludging operations. It is suggested that a separate scientific study be conducting for understanding safety hazards in greater detail, and based on the findings, a separate safety standard manual be prepared with the help of experts in the same domain.  

Code of practice

All countries recognize the importance of Occupational Health & Safety standards in desludging and FSM. Kenya is working on Occupational Health & Safety Standards as guidance for both Public Health and the pit-emptier association. Bangladesh and Indonesia have started to develop Standard Operational Procedures.

Desludging operations in this city (and, by extension) India are an unorganized sector. Dominated by a certain community, which engaged in manual scavenging for generations, they do have their informal, but tried and tested in time, means of conducting desludging operations. They have also made very effective use of technology to improve their operations.

However, the septic tank is a source of many problems for the primary stakeholders. The fecal sludge, today, has become a mix of chemical waste and therefore is toxic, harmful and fatal in nature. Poisonous gases and many forms of physical injuries are other hazards, as they come in close contact with fecal sludge every day.

To ensure that the primary stakeholders do not suffer from any occupational health and safety hazard, desludging operations must be codified and a code of practice be articulated. They must be trained to understand and follow the code of practice. A Code of Practice will enable to achieve the standards of health and safety required under the legislation for the primary stakeholders. It will also give guidance on effective ways to identify and manage health and safety risks. Information and awareness should come well before inspections and penalties. It seems important that all stakeholders, government, and clients are informed and involved in some way, to contribute to a culture of safety.

Health standards

Toxic gases, such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, methane, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and others accumulate in the septic tank. They are an immediate cause of fatalities and death of primary stakeholders. Though they can avert this tragedy according to their past experiences, the possibility of death due to asphyxia cannot be negated or eliminated. This is the biggest health hazard for primary stakeholders and must be addressed on the lines of immediate treatment and further treatment in hospital. Of course, safety gears prescribed by the law recommend airline breathing apparatus, while getting in the septic tank. But, based on observations on ground of workers’ problems and issues, they might not be enthused by the idea of an airline breathing apparatus.

The issue of addressing health standards for the act of getting inside the septic tank, has to be addressed along with safety standards. The workers wash their hands and feet with soap and water, every time they get in contact with sludge- since they are aware of health risks associated with their occupation. While it has been understood- in our discussion with experts - that disease-inducing bacteria and microbes don’t survive in an acidic environment beyond a day, the possibility of communicable diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhea, and malaria, cannot be negated, because the septic tank contains a lot of chemical waste. The nature and extent of this hazard has to be understood through dedicated scientific studies in the context of desludging operations. Based on the findings of the study, a proper occupational health standard of practice can be created for desludging workers and drivers and a future plan of action can be decided upon.

Administrative measures for ensuring health and safety among primary stakeholders

• The administration must ensure that all legal, health and safety standards, environment related issues be addressed immediately and all rules and regulations be observed and abided by.

• The Corporation could hold awareness camps to update them about latest technological interventions.

• Free-of-cost medical camps could be held for the primary and secondary stakeholders.  A counselor or a psychiatrist may also be involved in these medical camps, to encourage them to discuss their psychological and emotional well-being.

• The Corporation has organized many seminars and exhibitions for awareness for the use of and promotion of safety gears. There is a need to organize these seminars and exhibitions more frequently. The younger generation in the primary stakeholders must be actively sought after and the imperative of using safety gears must be impressed upon them. They might adapt themselves to use these safety gears faster than their old counterparts.

• The present safety gears offered/ exhibited by the Corporation don’t fulfill the purpose of safety and health. The primary and secondary stakeholders don’t use them, as they hinder their work processes. The reasons could be many- ergonomics, material, tactility, ability of ease to perform laborious tasks of desludging. After the issue of providing correct/ proper safety gears is resolved, there is hope that they will use them. But there could be many other issues at hand for the non-acceptance and non-use of safety gears- behavior, caste dominance, laziness, etc. It is only after better safety gears are provided to them, the real reasons for non/ use of safety gears might emerge.

• Maximum number of accidents takes place when the septic tank is left open. Here, it is not so much the primary stakeholders that are at risk, as much as the tertiary stakeholders- the clients and/ or their dependents. The corporation, in its various interactions with primary and secondary stakeholders, must enumerate this potential risk and danger, and include preventive equipment (temporary mesh, barrier cones and caution tapes) as a part of larger safety gears.   

• The corporation must ensure that the workers and drivers wear the prescribed safety gears before beginning to clean the work. On site safety standards must be explained to the workers through seminars, meetings and trainings and ensured that they follow all required instructions. Advertisement campaigns across media- newspapers, TV, banners, print-outs- could be effective means to explain the importance of safety and following safety standards. On-the-spot checks can be conducted while the primary stakeholders are at work on-site, and fines could be imposed on them if they don’t follow safety standards. Even though it may be a fear-inducing exercise, it could be an effective means to ensure the safety of the workers.  

Septic Tank

As explained earlier, septic tanks today are holding tanks holding liquid, solid and chemical (kitchen waste, in the case of hotels and restaurants) waste. The 2 compartment septic tanks are no longer constructed and have given way to one compartment tanks. Not many examples of 2 compartment septic tank were seen.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifies the guidelines for construction of septic tanks in houses. The minimum liquid-holding capacity of a tank should be 1,000 litres. When the capacity of a septic tank is more than 2,000 litres, it must consist of two chambers separated by a partition. The first chamber should be twice the size of the second. BIS also mandates that the floor of the tank should be watertight. All in all, an ideal septic tank is a two-chambered lined containment either connected to a soak pit to drain out the effluent after primary treatment or connected to some other secondary treatment system.

But these guidelines are only suggestive, not binding. As a result, most septic tanks do not conform to the recommended design. A lot also depends on the skills and experience of the mason building a septic tank and the area available to him.

As per BIS standards, half-yearly or yearly emptying of septic tanks is desirable. A small amount of sludge should be left in the tank to ensure the presence of microorganisms for anaerobic digestion of sludge. This could be pointed out to clients, the common public, to prevent the unlawful act of entering inside the septic tank.

Air blowing Poisonous Gases

Both the vehicle and the suction hose can be cost effective means to get rid of poisonous gases in the tank. It is called the air blowing technique. The desludging vehicle already has this feature. It is recommended that if poisonous gases have been detected in the septic tank, then the forced air ventilation technique be used through the existing feature in the desludging vehicle.

It involves blowing plain air into the tank, after the tank is open, so that all poisonous gases can come out. They use this step and procedure to liquidify sludge, and add water later, for easy suction of the sludge. It will also decrease the time that the workers spend (15-30 minutes) to wait for the poisonous gases to come out, in an otherwise scenario. The efficacy of this technique must be tested for septic tanks in the context of desludging process. If effective and successful, this could be included in the standard of operations.     

Behavioral change in society

Awareness campaign for avoid throwing non-biodegradable objects in toilet: The biggest reason for blockages in septic tank is the presence of foreign objects- sanitary napkins, cloth, condoms, glass bottles (broken or otherwise), cigarette buds, pens, pencils, mosquito coils, etc. These objects are thrown and flushed away, as there is stigma and taboo associated with them. However, this must be corrected at the level of society. Masses must be educated about the harms and hazards of these actions. This must be done through awareness campaigns on newspapers, television, radio and social media.  

Awareness about NOT using cleaners and detergents: In today’s time, chemicals, in the form of toilet and bathroom cleaners, shampoos, detergents, mix with sludge. This make the sludge (even from the households), very dangerous for skin and health of desludging workers, as they come in contact with sludge. Awareness must be created about such products. It is known that these products are made by larger FMCGs who spend a lot of revenue on advertising, impacting people’s decisions to buy certain kinds of products. Therefore, a direct mass media campaign might not be very beneficial. Campaigns that focus on word-of-mouth publicity or personal interactions, might prove to be more helpful to mitigate this challenge.

An open and unattended septic tank: Newspapers abound with news of people, especially children, falling into septic tank. It has been understood through the process that there are two such points where these accidents can happen: when the tank is left open for allowing poisonous gases to get out; and when they go to decanting station to empty their vehicle and there is sludge remaining in the septic tank. While safety cones, caution tapes are included as a part of safety gear sample kit to help avert this situation, this issue must be taken up with great urgency on a mass level.

During the process of desludging, the septic tank is kept open for duration of 5 – 30 minutes, to let the poisonous gases evaporate. Sometimes the tank is kept open, while the workers and drivers go the decanting station for emptying the vehicle tank. It is here that the tertiary stakeholders (the client and his family) are at maximum risk. Maximum number of accidents happens in this window.

Frequency of desludging: Usually, people call for desludging services only when the tank is overflowing or when they begin to smell bad odour in their latrines. Also, desludging services are expensive for certain categories, and are avoided by them, as much as possible. These are dangerous situations though and must be averted at all costs. BIS standards ask for septic tanks to be cleaned once in 6- 12 months. Very rarely, this is followed in reality. Common people must be made aware of this aspect too. Some neighbours can get together and hire a common desludging service and share the costs.

How to bring this change:

Awareness about these issues are the only solutions. Relevant ministries of central and state governments can commission information material to create awareness on these issues. In this context, audio- visuals on TV and social media, advertisements in newspapers and on social media, paintings and hoardings on walls. A separate media research, strategy and campaign can also be planned for the same.

In the context of desludging process (apart from hazards pointed out above), primary stakeholders say that if they get hurt, they undertake some temporary treatment (putting soil over the wound) and still continue to work. They only go to the doctor after they have finished the work. This could lead to infection and other kinds of problems. It is suggested that if the workers and drivers are provided training for first aid and health care, they can reduce risks for infection and other health hazards, before they go to the doctor for treatment.

The clients must also be sensitized to such aspects. If the worker or the driver has gotten hurt, they must help them in treatments and immediately take them to hospital. Since the biggest fear here is that the worker or driver might lose the work order, they must be able to ensure them they can resume work after they have received the treatment.

Awareness campaigns for primary stakeholders

Training for willingness to use safety gears: Many reasons have been cited for not using and wearing safety gears. The ergonomical issues shall be addressed through protection related issues. However, there is great unwillingness and resistance to the act of wearing safety gears. This aspect has to be delved into greater details, so that the core issues can be addressed. Out of this, solutions need to be evolved in order to find that one motivation that they agree with, to wear safety gears. After that training programs can be conducted and repeated at regular intervals in order to reinforce the point of willingness.

Following standard operating procedures and safety gear protocols: In the mock testing for safety gears, it was observed that if safety protocols and SOP was not explained, trained and diligently followed, then the efficacy of safety gears will be negative and detrimental to them. This will be a major exercise in itself and has to be iterated many times, may be over years. A separate study into how this aspect of behavioral change should be bought about on the ground.

Self- hygiene and safety and health hazards: Training must be conducted on personal hygiene as a reinforcement exercise. It has been observed that the older generation follows self- hygiene, but the younger generation; the new entrants; think of themselves as invincible against disease, and do not follow self- hygiene rules meticulously. This has to be corrected, and may be the elderly could be used to influence the youth to follow these aspects of self hygiene. 

Decanting Station

As they wait for their vehicles to empty, the primary stakeholders do spend some time at decanting station, socializing, chatting, or even having lunch.

It has been proposed by the respondents that there could be a toilet and bathroom, for bathing and relieving themselves. They have also asked for angular slant on ground near the decanting well, so that the vehicle can empty completely without much use of the suction motor (This has to vetted with a study, as its efficacy is not gauged).

First Aid and basic medical facilities could be instituted at decanting stations. If the workers are injured, they can get themselves treated with first aid, until they see the doctor for complete treatment. These demands can be taken up with the Corporation and be undertaken through proper procedures.

The decanting station could be thought of as a place where the imperatives of safety and health can be imparted and discussed. Since all peers connect with each other in a neutral environment of the decanting station, it might be a very good space to create awareness and educate them about correct practices in their occupation.

The decanting station can have safety and health related information- infographics, pictures, drawings, etc. on the following categories:

Compositions of poisonous gases

Situations that cause loss to human life

Health hazards

Importance of wearing safety gears

How to wear and remove safety gears

How to dispose safety gears

Self-hygiene

Conclusion

Desludging workers operate in different conditions than sanitary workers. Most of them are private operators and engage with their clients on a one-to-one basis, through the acts of marketing, cleaning, bargaining, etc. This engagement precisely makes them very different from other sanitary workers. This element must be considered and a separate space for them in policy making may be allocated, as it has its own dynamics and own set of rules, management and operations. A detailed socio-ethnographic research may be conducted on them to understand their thought-processes, business practices, social and caste identity. Based on the study, a separate set of parameters and tangents may be developed. With the emergence of unique parameters suited and catered to them, policy makers might be able to find valid and justifiable answers to the solutions they face.

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[1]Amutha, Maria and Christopher, G.The Forgotten tribe: The Kuravars of Tamil Nadu. “The Language loss of the Indigenous”.Edited by Devy.G N, Davis, Geoffrey and Chakravarty, K K. Routledge.2016, p 61