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Dealing with a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pertaining to the security and safety of sanitation workers, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday sought explanation from the Uttar Pradesh Government as to why even those drains, to which machines can access easily, are still being cleaned manually.

The bench of Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice J.J. Munir said, "Why the machines are not being used for cleaning of the drains wherever possible, as from (a) number of photographs, it is evident that the open drains are located near main roads or open spaces, where machines can easily be used."

Court pointed out that in some of the photographs, which were tabled before it, the workers could be seen in about chest-deep water, loaded with filth in a drain, without using any protective gear. "The kind of situation, as is evident from the photographs, cannot be expected in the 21st century," Court said.

Court directed Senior Advocate Anoop Trivedi who is representing the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam in the case, to seek instruction as to what steps shall be taken in this grave situation, so that the lives of the persons, who are involved in the process of cleaning drains, are not put at risk. Court also asked him to explain as to why the machines have not been put into use for drain cleaning.

Further, over the issue of flooding of the city during monsoon due to sewage drains blockage,  Additional Advocate General Manish Goel, submitted before the court that a roadmap shall be prepared for taking care of the situation so that the entire process of cleaning drains is complete before the onset of monsoon, taking all protections. The matter is likely to be heard next on June 6.

The case was registered on basis of a news item, which was published in the newspapers on May 24, 2022. Court said that from the article, it was evident that without any protective gears, open drains were being cleaned up by the persons deployed either by the Nagar Nigam or through contractors.

Advocates Rajiv Lochan Shukla and Kunal Shah have been appointed Amicus Curiae in the case. 

Case Title: In Re Ensuring the Security of Life and Safety of Health of the workmen and employees engaged v. The Chief Secretary, Government of U.P. Lucknow and others