The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment organized a National Workshop on "Mission Zero – Ending Fatalities in Sanitation Work" at the State Convention Centre, Lokseva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar in Odisha on August 22, 2026. The workshop was attended by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Secretary of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Sudhansh Pant, Chief Secretary of Odisha Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Department Usha Padhee, and other senior officials from central and state governments, Urban Local Bodies, and sanitation-sector institutions.
Secretary Sudhansh Pant emphasized that achieving zero fatalities in sanitation work is a core national priority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, requiring a whole-of-government approach to ensure safe, systematic and dignified sanitation services. He highlighted that the NAMASTE and GARIMA schemes are being implemented to promote mechanization and ensure occupational safety, health, education and livelihood opportunities for sanitation workers and their dependents. The Swachhata Sarthi/waste picker component introduced in 2024 has further strengthened the framework by bringing waste pickers into social and economic empowerment initiatives.
Notably, the NAMASTE scheme has been extended until 2031 with the objective of ensuring systematic sanitation service delivery through Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), advancing the Mission Zero agenda and achieving saturation of welfare measures for sanitation workers and their families. The workshop featured a safety devices and equipment marketplace where stakeholders showcased technologies and equipment designed to enhance safety and efficiency of sanitation workers, including stalls by Waste-to-Wealth Self Help Groups comprising waste pickers and sanitation workers highlighting opportunities for livelihood generation and sustainable waste management.
The event brought together diverse stakeholders including government officials, Urban Local Bodies, CPHEEO, sanitation-sector institutions, civil society organizations, technology and equipment providers, and sanitation workers to deliberate on building a safe, dignified and fully mechanized sanitation ecosystem. The workshop focused on strengthening institutional mechanisms, promoting appropriate technologies, ensuring operational preparedness and scaling up mechanized sanitation services across cities with the overarching objective of achieving zero fatalities in sanitation work.