The Lok Sabha on December 05, 2025, introduced the Protection and Welfare of Sanitation Workers Bill, 2024 to provide regulations for the protection, welfare, and rehabilitation of sanitation workers engaged in the maintenance of public and private spaces, including waste management, disinfection, and sanitization and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Key highlights are as stated:
• The local authority shall conduct a yearly survey for registering details of the sanitation workers within its jurisdiction.
• The presiding officer of the local authority, under whose jurisdiction the survey is undertaken, shall be responsible for accurate and timely completion of the survey.
• After completion of the survey, the presiding officer shall cause to be drawn up a provisional list of persons found to be working as Sanitation workers working within the jurisdiction of his Municipality and fulfilling, the eligibility condition as may be prescribed, shall cause such provisional list to be published, both offline and online, for general information in such manner, as may be prescribed, and shall invite objections to the list from the general public.
• Any person having any objection, either to the inclusion or exclusion of any name in the provisional list published in pursuance of sub-section (4), shall, within a period of fifteen days from such publication file an objection, in such form as the local authority may prescribe.
• It shall be the duty of every local authority and other agency to use appropriate technological appliances for cleaning of sewer, septic tanks, or any other spaces for sanitisation or cleaning within their control with a view to eliminating the need for the hazardous manual handling in that process.
• The employer shall ensure that all sanitation workers, whether employed regularly or on a contractual basis, are provided with appropriate and functional personal protective equipment necessary for their work. This includes gloves, masks, helmets, safety shoes, aprons, and any other specialized gear required for protection against exposure to harmful substances, hazardous waste, chemicals, and infectious diseases.
• Every employer, including government agencies, contractors, or private entities engaging sanitation workers, shall ensure that all sanitation workers, whether employed on a regular, contractual, or temporary basis, are covered under a comprehensive health insurance scheme.
The detailed bill has been discussed in the document below.
[Bill No. 212 of 2024]
