Keywords
Sanitation workers
scavengers
How to Cite
Abstract
India remains a caste-based society, and communities are categorised based on caste identity and their socio-cultural position rather than the physical labour of individuals. The sanitation workers play a critical role in cleaning and maintaining the environment, but the systemic marginalisation continues through the static framework of varna. The discriminatory mindset that perpetuates the dominance of social relations. Across the Indian subcontinent, these legacy caste communities are reduced to sanitation work, which includes the disposal of both human and animal waste manually. The removal of decomposing animal carcasses and the hazardous manual cleaning of public and private latrines and sewers.
Undeniably, this informal sector provides indispensable environmental, public health, and sanitation services to urban centres across India. Yet, despite their vital contributions, these waste pickers, scavengers, and informal urbanizers remain acutely marginalised—socially, economically, and politically. Against this backdrop, this article examines the key challenges confronting unorganised sanitation workers and scavengers at the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) and assesses the effectiveness of some policies formulated for their protection and security.
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