கழிவுகளை அகற்றும் பணியின் போது விஷவாயு தாக்கி உயிரிழந்தோர் 1993 முதல், இன்று வரை 206 பேர்! இதில் தமிழகம் முதலிடம் என்பது அனைவருக்கும் தலைகுனிவு!...

DMK president M.K. Stalin called for an end to toxic gas deaths in sewer lines, noting that official records show 206 sanitation workers have died during sewer cleaning operations between 1993 and 2019. Stalin expressed deep remorse that Tamil Nadu holds the highest number of such fatalities nationwide, characterizing this reality as a profound collective shame for the entire state.

In an honest appraisal, Stalin acknowledged that these tragic fatalities occurred across different administrations, including periods when the DMK held power in Tamil Nadu. He emphasized that preventing further deaths requires rising above partisan finger-pointing to confront an entrenched societal and institutional tragedy. Ending this perilous practice demands an unyielding political will, total mechanization of municipal sanitation networks, and strict legal accountability against officials who permit manual cleaning.

The opposition leader appealed to the state government, civic corporations, and civil society organizations to unite in eradicating manual sewer entry once and for all. Stalin pledged that the DMK will actively support comprehensive modernization initiatives, strict enforcement of statutory bans, and compassionate welfare measures to ensure that sanitation workers are fully protected.