During the current COVID-19 pandemic, sanitation workers are dealing with waste collection and
management, cleaning of toilets, cleaning/disinfection of public places, and maintaining sanitation services. Their work requires them to move across different locations, interact with several people and work in highrisk settings including health care facilities, quarantine centres and containment zones. The lack of personal protective equipment and other safety measures at work puts sanitation workers at a high risk of infection. Getting infected with COVID-19 can lead to an added layer of stigma and discrimination which can lead to loss of livelihood and difficulties in availing proper health care services. Moreover, since many of them live in informal settlements, there is also a concern about transmission in their communities. In this context, Urban Management Centre (UMC) and WaterAid India (WAI) conducted a rapid study on the challenges of sanitation workers during COVID-19 pandemic.