India, May 16 -- The state government is chalking out a policy to mechanise sewer cleaning and reduce human presence in sanitation work after a social audit revealed that 20 sanitation workers had died in Maharashtra over the past few years, mostly while they were working inside manholes. The government is likely to spend Rs.400 crore to implement the policy which aligns with central government directives to curb manual scavenging, said sources in the social justice and urban development departments.

"We are finalising the policy, and it will be unveiled soon," Harshadeep Kamble, principal secretary, social justice department, told Hindustan Times. The policy will lay down proper safety measures for sanitation workers and ensure their we...