Stories written by

Sonal Sharma

Covid-19: Five lessons India should learn from the crisis to make cities more liveable for workers

While authorities have responded quickly to sanitation issues, they must also take a long-term view of gaps in infrastructure and urban design.

Smriti Singh
,
Sonal Sharma
&
Sukrit Nagpal
· Jun 06, 2020 · 06:30 pm
The frequent deaths of India’s sewer workers isn’t a governance failure – they are rooted in caste

The philosophy of caste validates the casual subjection of sanitation workers to the hazardous, humiliating task of cleaning sewers and septic tanks.

Harsh Mander
,
Sonal Sharma
&
Vidit Verma
· Nov 17, 2019 · 06:30 am
A Dalit man agreed to clean a sewer hoping for a permanent job – and was killed by toxic fumes

The authorities in Mathura have failed to keep their promise to give Rakesh Valmiki’s family a pension, a home and free education for the children.

Harsh Mander
,
Vidit Verma
&
Sonal Sharma
· Oct 27, 2019 · 06:30 am

Video

The Reel

Govind decided to clean a septic tank to earn extra money for Holi. He drowned in shit

Though manual scavenging is banned, it hasn’t disappeared. As flush toilets become more popular, the practice has simply taken on a new form.

Harsh Mander
,
Sonal Sharma
&
Vidit Verma
· Jul 19, 2019 · 12:30 pm