NCSK Pushes for Safer Jobs and Better Welfare for Sanitation Workers

NDMC Secretary Rahul Singh assured the commission that the civic body remains committed to adopting advanced monitoring systems and modern technology to improve sanitation services across the capital.

The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) has directed the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to strengthen worker welfare, speed up mechanisation and resolve long-pending service issues during a high-level review meeting held in the national capital. The discussions brought together senior municipal officials, sanitation worker unions, outsourced service providers and frontline sanitation staff to address concerns related to safety, employment and social security.

The meeting was chaired by NCSK Member Karam Singh Karma and attended by NDMC Secretary Rahul Singh, chief engineers, health officials, sanitary inspectors and departmental heads. Representatives of Safai Karamchari unions and sanitation workers from different municipal circles also participated, allowing officials to hear workplace concerns directly from those working on the ground.

NCSK calls for complete end to manual scavenging

A major focus of the meeting was the complete elimination of manual scavenging through wider adoption of mechanised cleaning systems. Karam Singh Karma reviewed the functioning of the public health and engineering departments while stressing that sewer and deep drain cleaning should be carried out entirely through machines to eliminate risks to workers' lives and health.

He said sanitation workers play an indispensable role in keeping cities clean and healthy, often beginning their work before sunrise while the rest of the city is still asleep. Their contribution, he noted, deserves respect, dignity and safe working conditions, making it the responsibility of every civic authority to protect their welfare and ensure that no worker is exposed to hazardous conditions.

Long-pending service issues receive fresh attention

The review meeting also became a platform for sanitation workers and employee unions to raise long-standing grievances directly with senior officials. After hearing their concerns, the commission issued several administrative directions aimed at resolving pending employment matters within fixed timelines.

The NCSK instructed NDMC to immediately begin the recruitment process for Temporary Muster Roll (TMR) Safai Karamcharis under its Public Health Department. It also directed that the services of 28 pending employees in the malaria department be regularised within one month.

Contractors and outsourced agencies were ordered to submit employment agreements along with records confirming compliance with Employees' State Insurance (ESI) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) requirements. The commission said these measures are necessary to ensure that outsourced sanitation workers receive all statutory social security benefits without delay.

Focus shifts to stronger monitoring and worker protection

Karam Singh Karma stressed that labour welfare cannot be compromised and directed authorities to closely monitor contractor operations to make sure every sanitation worker receives the benefits guaranteed under labour laws. He said better oversight would help improve accountability while protecting workers employed through outsourced agencies.

NDMC Secretary Rahul Singh assured the commission that the civic body remains committed to adopting advanced monitoring systems and modern technology to improve sanitation services across the capital. He said these efforts would not only help keep Delhi cleaner but also raise the standard of safety and working conditions for the workforce responsible for maintaining public hygiene.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen mechanisation, improve worker welfare and ensure that sanitation workers receive the dignity, protection and social security they deserve while performing one of the country's most essential public services.