aif Masih, aged 28, stands outside the Water and Sanitation Agency office in Gulshan Colony, waiting for anyone in need of his services to unclog a drains or clean a sewage line. Even on Easter Sunday, he is here seeking work.

“Even holidays like Easter or Christmas bring no joy when you cannot afford bread and butter for your family,” he says.

Saif has been a sewer cleaner for the Water and Sanitation Agency working for a daily wage for the past five years. He has kept up hope of getting a permanent position some day.

“Before the rains, there’s work for two, maybe four months cleaning sewer lines. The pay comes after months of waiting. On regular days, it is the same work done in a private capacity,” he says.

Saif highlights a safety concern. He says that most workers lack proper equipment including gas masks and oxygen cylinders. When accidents happen, their lives depend on a simple rope tied around their waist. “I once barely escaped inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a 10-foot-deep sewer line,” he recounts.

In a tragic incident on March 17, Saif’s brother Asif Masih and cousin Shan Masih lost their lives due to suffocation while cleaning a sewer on Sargodha Road. Asif Masih had been a permanent employee of the WASA; Shan Masih was employed on a contract basis.

Three sewer workers lost their lives in similar incidents last year. Many others suffered from various diseases.

Binyamin Sahotra, general secretary of the Jamhoori Workers’ Union, mentions a troubling statistic: since the inception of WASA Faisalabad, approximately 50 sewer workers have lost their lives in workplace accidents. He emphasises that, while some safety equipment - like gas masks, goggles and belts - are now provided to sewer workers, their quality remains subpar.

“The water sewer workers have to deal with is a hazardous mix of sewage and industrial effluents. This frequently causes eye and respiratory ailments among them,” Binyamin says. He points out that, due to the unsafe working conditions, sewer workers typically suffer from respiratory and skin diseases. Most of them lack access to free medical treatment.

Binyamin highlights a stark contrast with Europe, where sewer workers retire after ten years of service with benefits equivalent to 25 years of work in other professions. “They recognise that 10 years should be the limit for work in such conditions. Here, some people keep working for several decades,” he says. “In Faisalabad, typical sewer workers work for 25 to 30 years. This often results in poor health.”

He criticises the WASA management for their apathy, citing instances where workers were compelled to work late into Saturdays, depriving them of the opportunity to join religious practices the following day.

Binyamin also underscores the societal disdain towards sewer workers, recalling instances of being mocked and denied basic necessities like drinking water while on duty. He laments that, even in the tragic event of a worker’s death, there’s a lack of empathy, with many people showing indifference, even contempt, towards the deceased.

He says the Agency’s exploitation of its employees, coupled with societal apathy, exacerbates the plight of sewer workers. “Their invaluable contribution to public health and sanitation is overshadowed by systemic neglect and societal disregard.”

The sewage system in the subcontinent was initially established in urban areas during the British rule. It incorporated ‘man holes’ for access to and cleaning of underground sewer lines to ensure proper drainage. Sewer workers, commonly known as sewer men, would enter these holes to manually clean the sewer lines. After more than a century, the sewage system in Pakistan largely follows the same infrastructure and maintenance procedures.

The enduring reliance on manual labour for maintaining sewerage systems underscores the persistence of outdated practices despite technological advancements. Despite the passage of time and the evolution of sanitation technologies worldwide, many areas in Pakistan still rely heavily on the labour-intensive ways to ensure the proper functioning of sewage systems.

In Faisalabad, the sewage drains were first laid in the 1960s, initially serving a population of approximately 200,000. Prior to the establishment of the WASA in 1978, the maintenance of the sewerage system fell under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation.

“The water sewer workers have to deal with is a hazardous mix of sewage and industrial effluents, leading to frequent occurrence of eye and respiratory ailments among them,” Binyamin says. Most of them lack access to free medical treatment.

Today, the sewage system provided by the WASA serves more than 2.2 million residents of the city, comprising 127,927 domestic, 18,808 commercial and 904 industrial consumers. This extensive network includes 34 operational disposal stations, 1,711 kilometres of sewer lines and 62 kilometres of sewage drains. The system handles a discharge of 280 million gallons of sewage water daily.

WASA officials emphasise the importance of regular maintenance to ensure the functionality of the system. All sewage lines and drains undergo biannual cleaning before the onset of monsoon and winter seasons. Additionally, general cleaning activities are conducted throughout the year to maintain optimal operation.

In March, under a directive from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz under the Suthra Punjab initiative, the desilting of sewage lines in major markets and other key areas of the city was completed. Additionally, in response to citizens’ complaints regarding missing or damaged man-hole covers, new covers were installed to ensure public safety. Furthermore, awareness programmes have been conducted at schools, colleges and madrasas to educate students about the importance of not disposing of garbage in sewerage lines.

Despite the commendable efforts made under the cleaning campaign, it is disappointing to note that no additional allowance or compensation was provided to sewer men and other staff undertaking extra duties during this period.

Shahbaz Masih, a sewer man at the Batala Colony WASA office, shared his experience of being compelled to work additional hours without safety equipment, even during the night, despite observing fasting during the month of March.

The lack of acknowledgement and support for the dedicated efforts of sewer men and other personnel during the cleaning campaign raises concerns about their welfare and underscores the need for fair treatment and recognition of their contributions to public health and sanitation.

It’s important to highlight that the Local Government and Community Development Department has identified 17 essential items of safety equipment required for cleaning sewerage lines. Despite this, a significant number of sewer men, particularly those working in the main sewerage lines and residential areas, continue to operate without proper safety gear.

A survey by the Centre for Law and Justice, a non-governmental organisation, revealed that 98 per cent of sewer men interviewed in 2021 reported not being provided with essential safety equipment such as dry suits, gas monitors, oxygen cylinders, headlamps, air respirators, air blowers and exhaust systems while performing their duties.

WASA Faisalabad’s Public Information Officer, Zafar Iqbal, asserts that the WASA staff is equipped with comprehensive protective gear during sewer cleaning operations. He says that sewer men are provided with helmets, protective harnesses, gas masks and safety shoes. He says it is the responsibility of area supervisors to ensure the use of this equipment during work.

Regarding the tragic incident involving Asif Masih and Shan Masih, he says that they were not on official duty at the time of the accident. However, he says, compensation was paid to their families under a directive of the Punjab government. Arrangements have also been made to support the affected families financially. This includes continued salary payments and job opportunities for the next of kin.

Despite efforts to promote the use of mechanical cleaning methods, Iqbal acknowledges the limitations posed by the specific measurements and structure of many sewer pipes, sewers and manholes, which often necessitate manual cleaning.

Addressing concerns about the employment status of long-serving work-charge employees, Iqbal says that recruitment has been restricted due to government regulations, limiting WASA’s ability to provide permanent positions. Nonetheless, he reiterates WASA’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all sewer men and providing assistance in case of accidents.

Mary James Gill, the executive director of the Centre for Law and Justice, says there is an urgent need for improving the working conditions and economic prospects of sewer men. She emphasises the implementation of the International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Agenda in the cleaning industry to ensure the provision and use of protective equipment during work.

Gill advocates for the establishment of a standard procedure for reporting injuries and work-related accidents, ensuring prompt medical assistance for affected sewer men. In addition to advocating for health insurance, risk allowances, and other benefits, she stresses the importance of regular medical check-ups for sewer men.

Furthermore, Gill highlights the necessity of educating sewer men on the proper use of safety equipment and its significance in safeguarding their lives against potential hazards resulting from the absence of such equipment.

Gill also emphasises the importance of enforcing regulations pertaining to the disposal of waste in sewer lines and drains. This aims to minimise the occurrence of blockages and ensure the proper functioning of sewer systems, thereby mitigating risks associated with blocked or non-functional sewer lines.

The writer has been associated with journalism for the past decade. He tweets

@ naeemahmad876