LUCKNOW: Two Dalit sanitation workers died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a sewer line in Saadatganj on Tuesday. The condition of two other workers is said to be critical.
The workers were not provided protective gear by the private company hired by the Jalkal department of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) for cleaning and maintenance of sewage treatment plants and pipelines across the city.
The Supreme Court has banned manual scavenging while protective gears are mandatory for manual sewerage cleaning.
Family members of the deceased and other sanitation workers created ruckus outside KGMU Trauma Centre and gheraoed Mayor Sanyukta Bhatia and municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi.
The protesters allowed the mayor and municipal commissioner to leave only after they promised that an FIR would be lodged against errant officials, and compensation and jobs would be provided to the family members of the deceased.
The deceased contractual sanitation workers have been identified as Pooran (37) and Karan (19), residents of Unnao district and city’s Talkatora area respectively.
Local residents said Pooran and Karan entered the sewer line in Gulabnagar area of Saadatganj. Suddenly, they felt uneasy and fell unconscious. Two other workers also entered the tank but they also fell unconscious.
When no one came out for 15-20 minutes, residents informed the local corporator and police.
“We managed to rescue one of them but failed to bring out the others,” Mohammad Ahsan, former corporator, who was present on the spot, told TOI.
Police rushed to the spot and brought out the other workers with the help of local residents. However, this time again, people who entered the manhole had only covered their faces as no safety gear was available.
All the four sanitation workers were taken to Trauma Centre of KGMU where Pooran and Karan were pronounced dead.
KGMU Trauma Centre in-charge Prof Prem Raj said the two survivors were critical and their condition was being monitored.
General manager, Jal Kal department, SK Verma said, “Mostly cleaning work is done through machines and sanitary workers are allowed to enter the sewer line only in emergency condition but not without masks, safety belts and boots.”
“Prima facie, it appears to be a case of negligence on the part of the outsourcing company. An FIR has been registered on the Mayor’s directions,” he said.
