High Court Orders Maharashtra To Pay Rs 30 Lakh Each For Nanded Septic Tank Deaths
The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra state government to pay Rs 30 lakh each in compensation to the families of two daily-wage labourers who died while cleaning a septic tank in Nanded district. Justices Nitin Suryawanshi and Vaishali Patil-Jadhav passed the order on July 6, 2026, regarding the incident that occurred in 2021.
The ruling came during the hearing of petitions filed by a 32-year-old widow and a 70-year-old mother seeking compensation for the deaths of their family members. The two men died of asphyxia and drowning while cleaning a septic tank on private premises without protective equipment. According to the petitioners, the property owner had not obtained permission from the local authority for the hazardous work.
The High Court Bench made strong observations regarding the tragedy, stating that the continued existence of manual scavenging is "a serious blot on a civilised society and reflects the collective failure to completely eradicate this inhuman and degrading practice." The judges added that such incidents compel society to introspect on how far the constitutional vision of equality, dignity and fraternity has been realised.
The court directed the State Social Justice Department to release the Rs 30 lakh compensation to each family within eight weeks of receiving a proposal from the Nanded District Collector. If the payment is delayed beyond this period, it will carry a 6 per cent annual interest rate.
During the proceedings, the Government Pleader argued that under a 2019 government resolution, compensation was the responsibility of the private property owner. The advocate representing the property owner submitted that his client had already paid Rs 2.25 lakh to each family in 2022 under the directions of the District Collector.
However, relying on previous Supreme Court and High Court rulings, the Bench held the State government liable to pay the compensation. The court clarified that the state may recover the paid amount from the contractor, agency, or other persons responsible for violating the law.
The court also ordered the authorities to examine whether the petitioners are eligible for rehabilitation under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act within 12 weeks.
According to the petitions, the deceased men were the primary support for their households. The widow, whose husband was a fisherman and construction labourer, has been working as an agricultural labourer to support their nine-year-old son. The elderly parents of the second victim became dependent on their younger sons following his death.
