The Supreme Court of India has directed the Centre and states to take measures to eradicate manual sewer cleaning in a phased manner. The court has asked the Centre to issue guidelines to ensure that sewer-cleaning work does not require individuals to enter sewers. The court also ordered the payment of Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the families of those who die while cleaning sewers, an increase from the previous amount of Rs 10 lakh. The top court further directed the government to ensure full rehabilitation and accountability for sewer workers and victims.