1 dead, 2 injured on entering Delhi sewer without safety gear

A 35-year-old laborer died and two others were injured in a sewer incident in Delhi, raising safety concerns as they lacked protective gear.

NEW DELHI

The spot where the manual scavenging death took place. (HT)

A 35-year-old daily wage labourer died and two others were critically injured as they fainted upon entering a sewer to lay pipes in Ashok Vihar on Tuesday night, police said. Survivors, meanwhile, said that they were not provided safety gear for the work allotted by a contractor of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Police said that the victims inhaled poisonous gases inside the manhole, leading to the death of one of them, but they are awaiting autopsy reports to confirm it. A case has been registered under provisions of causing death by negligence and endangering life of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and under sections of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act at Ashok Vihar police station.

Suvarna Ogale, DJB spokesperson did not respond to the multiple queries on the matter. The contractor was identified as Brijgopal Construction Company.

“A crime team inspected the site and the manager of Brijgopal Construction Company, which has been carrying out the cleaning work, has been called for questioning,” deputy commissioner of police (north west) Bhisham Singh said.

Police identified the deceased as Arvind Kumar, and the critically injured workers as Sonu Kumar, 40, and Naresh Kumar, 35. A fourth worker, Narayan Kumar, 31, was discharged after first aid they said.

According to the police, they received information about the incident around 11.30pm, with a caller apprising them that four men had fallen inside a sewer near Harihar Apartments, where work has been underway for the past few days. Police rescued the workers and rushed them to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, where Arvind was declared dead.

The three others were admitted to the intensive care unit, DCP Singh said, adding that Narayan was discharged after treatment. The two others continue to remain in the ICU, he said.

Narayan told HT that the four of them were hired by the company directly, bypassing their contractor, for the work in a 10-foot-deep manhole. “They asked us to lay pipes at night because the road would have gotten congested during the day. Arvind went first and collapsed immediately. Within a minute or two, Sonu went next to save him but he collapsed as well. I tried to go but came back. Naresh went to save the two but he collapsed as well,” Narayan said that the whole incident took place within seven to eight minutes.

Narayan said he raised the alarm, following which a passerby entered the manhole with a rope after covering his mouth and nose with a cloth. “I don’t know who the man was but he rescued the three by holding them from the waist. He was pulled up by others outside,” he said.

Narayan said that none of them were provided with safety gear. “We have been working for contractors of the DJB for years and most of them provide safety belts, oxygen cylinder, helmet and uniform... but this company didn’t provide anything,” he said.

Arvind’s wife Nisha, 28, who had come to receive his body at the mortuary of Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, said that Arvind, of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, had been working in Delhi for over two decades. He was the sole breadwinner for the family, and agreed to work at the site because the company supervisor was offering ₹2,000 for two hours of work—more than ₹800 a day usually offered—and he had to pay his children’s school and tuition fees.

“I have two sons aged eight and 10 and they go to school in the village. We hadn’t paid their school fees of ₹500 each this month. The principal was constantly telling the kids to pay. We also had to pay ₹1500 for their tuition. He agreed to do this work just for the children and now they are left without a father,” Nisha said, sobbing.

She said she did not have any job skill. “How will they study now? At least my elder son will have to quit studies”.

Other workers Sonu and Narayan are from Kasganj, while Naresh is from Bihar.