A controversy has erupted in Delhi after the Public Works Department (PWD) posted photos on social media showing labourers waist-deep in a stormwater drain in Rohini, Northwest Delhi, without wearing safety gear, sparking widespread criticism over labour safety violations.

The images, shared Tuesday from the PWD’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter), show at least eight workers at the desilting site. Four of them were seen inside the open drain, shirtless and visibly without basic protective gear like gloves, boots, masks, or overalls, while cleaning out garbage and thick silt manually.

The location was identified as a stormwater drain in Rohini, an area prone to waterlogging during the monsoon. The post, meant to highlight ongoing desilting work as part of the government’s monsoon preparedness, instead triggered a backlash for allegedly exposing labourers to unsafe and inhumane working conditions.

Human rights groups, labour unions, and citizens on social media were quick to react, accusing the government of promoting manual scavenging and failing to ensure the dignity and safety of sanitation workers. Many users tagged the Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis, the Labour Department, and the National Human Rights Commission, demanding strict action and accountability.

In response, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta issued a statement defending the work and addressing the criticism.

“Every drain has its own situation. Machines don’t work everywhere, and people don’t work everywhere… There may be places where machines can’t reach. Right now, the government’s target is to ensure all drains are completely cleaned,” Gupta said during a press interaction on Tuesday.

She emphasised that work was being carried out in alignment with court-mandated desilting directives and claimed the government was paying attention to ensuring completion of all drain work before heavy rains hit the city.

However, the CM’s response did little to placate critics.

Labour rights activists pointed out that Section 7 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, clearly prohibits manual cleaning of sewers or drains without safety equipment. They accused the PWD of normalising such hazardous practices through official endorsement.

One social media user commented,

“This is how the system fails the poor again and again. These men have families. They deserve masks, gloves, and dignity — not disease and neglect.”

Another posted,

“Will the government allow their own employees to enter open drains without boots or gear? Why is it acceptable for daily-wage workers?”

The Delhi High Court in multiple rulings has also underlined that no worker should be allowed inside a sewer or drain without proper gear and that mechanisation should be prioritised. Yet, year after year, reports of manual cleaning of drains and septic tanks continue to surface from various parts of the capital.

The PWD's explanation is awaited, but officials informally told reporters that they face “on-ground practical limitations” in using machines for narrow, choked, or slum-side drains, where the terrain makes mechanised access difficult. They also claimed labourers are provided with protective gear, but admitted that “not all choose to wear it due to discomfort”.

This claim was disputed by labour unions, who alleged that the supply of safety kits is irregular, and contract workers are not properly briefed or supervised on safety standards.

As Delhi braces for the monsoon, the pressure is mounting on the PWD and the state government to urgently fix accountability, ensure safe working conditions, and modernise desilting operations.

The issue has now reached opposition benches as well. Senior AAP leader Mukesh Verma questioned the government’s intent:

“You can’t showcase progress by exploiting labour. Drain cleaning without gear is not desilting, it’s risking lives.”

While the PWD deleted the original post late Tuesday evening after the backlash, screenshots of the images continue to circulate, keeping the controversy alive.

Civil society groups are now demanding that the Delhi government:

• Conduct an urgent safety audit of all desilting operations

• Provide mandatory safety kits to all sanitation workers

• Deploy mechanised tools and robots in high-risk drain zones

• Offer medical insurance and hazard pay to workers handling dangerous material

Unless steps are taken immediately, activists warn, Delhi risks a repeat of preventable tragedies, including fatal gas exposure, toxic infections, and long-term health conditions for sanitation workers.

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