Supreme Court fines PWD 5 lakh for utilizing staff to scrub sewers outdoors court docket

The Supreme Court on Thursday (September 18, 2025) imposed a penalty of ₹5 lakh on the Delhi Government’s Public Works Department (PWD) for violating its orders towards guide sewer cleansing after labourers, together with a minor, have been discovered clearing drains with out protecting gear outdoors the court docket premises.

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria pulled up the PWD for flouting its October 2023 instructions prohibiting the follow. “It can be affordable to impose a value for having undertaken such work, as evidenced by the pictures annexed with this software. Hence, we direct PWD to deposit the sum of ₹5 lakh to the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis inside 4 weeks,” the court docket mentioned.

The Bench additional cautioned that not solely these from the PWD but additionally different officers wanted to “get up from slumber” to make sure compliance with its instructions “in letter and spirit.”

Blatant disregard

Senior advocate Okay. Parameshwar, helping the court docket as amicus curiae, submitted that the incident mirrored a blatant disregard of binding instructions. He identified that video footage confirmed a minor amongst these deployed for the hazardous job. “The minor was engaged, and it’s particularly recorded within the video. A police criticism was sought to be lodged at Tilak Marg station, however neither the police nor the PWD took acceptable motion. This shouldn’t be merely a labour legislation violation, relatively, it’s a breach of constitutional obligations,” he mentioned.

The court docket mentioned that it appeared that its earlier instructions “had not percolated” to the erring officers or have been “consciously ignored.” It added that it had made it clear that within the occasion of any untoward incident, the court docket would direct the registration of FIRs towards the officers involved.

“At this stage, we desist from doing so for the straightforward motive that no incident has occurred and to make sure that neither the officers nor the contractor appointed by them permit the employee to enter the drain or mushy water drain or sewer with out protecting gear,” it mentioned.

The court docket was listening to functions in a public curiosity litigation petition highlighting the persevering with follow of guide scavenging.