The workers are paid a meagre Rs 156 for 24 hours of work
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
Children of the safai karamcharis use water from a supply line for their household chores
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Avikal Somvanshi
Most of the sanitation workers are recruited through agents and have no fixed contract
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
Manual scavenging is prohibited under law, yet the Uttar Pradesh government has built 28,000 dry latrines in the Kumbh area
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
The workers live on the fringe of the mela area and have no sanitation facilities for themselves
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
The authorities have hired 5,000 people to keep these toilets clean and are set to hire 5,000 more
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
Sanitation workers wash up after cleaning the toilets
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Avikal Somvanshi
Most of these safai karamcharis are manual scavengers from Banda district
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Meeta Ahlawat
They live in slum settlements like these
Read also:Scavenging still a reality
Photographs by: Avikal Somvanshi