Serious allegations have emerged over sanitation workers being made to clean drains without safety gear in Holakallu village.
Holakallu
Serious allegations of labour law violations and disregard for worker safety have surfaced against officials of the Holakallu Gram Panchayat in the Tumakuru Rural Assembly Constituency. It has been alleged that workers were forced to enter and clean a clogged drainage line without being provided with basic safety equipment, despite clear Supreme Court directives prohibiting such practices.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred in front of a government school in Holakallu village, where drainage water was not flowing freely. Instead of adopting mechanised methods or ensuring proper safety measures, officials of the Holakallu Gram Panchayat allegedly arranged for manual cleaning. As the panchayat’s own sanitation workers were reportedly on leave, two labourers were brought in from Koratagere.
It is alleged that these workers were made to descend into the drain without essential protective equipment such as gumboots, gloves, masks, or any other safety gear. The workers were reportedly given only basic tools like crowbars and were forced to carry out the cleaning with bare hands, exposing them to serious health hazards.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups, particularly the Samruddhi Team, which termed the act as a blatant violation of labour laws and Supreme Court orders banning unsafe manual scavenging. The organisation has demanded immediate legal action against the concerned Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) and officials responsible for the lapse.
The Samruddhi Team has also urged the Tumakuru Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer to intervene without delay. They have called for strict instructions to be issued to all gram panchayats in the district, clearly stating that sanitation workers must not be deployed for drain-cleaning activities without full protective equipment and safety precautions.
In addition to Holakallu, similar allegations have reportedly surfaced from Nagavalli Gram Panchayat, where workers were allegedly made to clean drains without safety gear. Activists have demanded legal proceedings against the PDOs and secretaries of both Nagavalli and Holakallu Gram Panchayats, terming the incidents inhuman and condemnable.