Tumakuru, 27 June 

Civil workers’ organisation demanded action after a video of manual scavenging at the government-affiliated KEB Engineers' Association in the district headquarters of Tumakuru went viral. Tumakuru is Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara’s home district.

In the video, four labourers are purportedly seen removing human waste from a septic tank with their bare hands and load it into a tractor, with unions accusing the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation (KPTCL) of perpetuating a banned practice. 

The four workers - Nandeesh and Arun from Tumakuru, and Murthy Nayak and Naveen from Madhugiri – were brought to the site on the pretext of cleaning a drain, but the department instead made them clean a sceptic tank. Organisations claim that the work took nearly three days, while the workers were not provided any safety equipment – including gloves. 

“We were brought here saying that we had to fill soil. Only after arriving did we realise it was a sceptic tank. We agreed to do the work only to earn a livelihood. We did not know that this kind of work is prohibited," the workers said in the videos. 

Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) district municipal workers' union leader Subrahmanya demanded stringent action against those responsible. In a statement, he described the incident as “disgraceful”. 

The union demanded comprehensive rehabilitation for the workers who had been forced into manual scavenging, permanent employment for the victims, and adequate compensation from the government.

The Tumakuru District Municipal Workers' Union and the Karnataka State Municipal Workers' Union urged the Department of Social Welfare, the Labour Department, the Tumakuru City Corporation, and Police department to launch an investigation.