Activists challenge Centre's claim of no manual scavenging deaths

In India, some people clean sewers, septic tanks, and old bathrooms by hand.

This dangerous work is called manual scavenging.

The government recently said that no one in India does this job anymore.

It also said that nobody has died from manual scavenging in the last five years.

But the government did say that more than 300 sanitation workers died while cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

Activists say the government's definition of manual scavenging is too narrow.

They believe workers who clean sewers and railway tracks should also be counted.

Activists say many workers die every month doing this dangerous cleaning.

They want the government to admit these are manual scavenging deaths and to help the workers.

The two sides disagree about how to define the job and how many deaths have really happened.