India, March 11 -- The Centre on Tuesday told Parliament that a total of 66,961 sewer and septic tank workers (SSWs) have been validated under the National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) scheme as of March 2025, marking a 22.7% increase compared to December 2024, when the figure stood at 54,574.

The scheme was launched in 2023-24 with an aim to address the persistent issues in sanitation work by promoting mechanised solutions and providing rehabilitation support to workers.

According to the government, 425 deaths were reported between 2019 and 2024 due to hazardous sanitation work, particularly related to cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

To be sure, under the scheme-the workers are "profiled" and then "valid...