Tragic Incident: Three Workers Perish During Sewage Cleanup near Kolkata
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Synopsis
On February 2, three workers lost their lives while cleaning a sewerage drain at Kolkata's Bantala leather complex. The cause of death remains unclear, with authorities investigating potential drowning or gas inhalation. This incident comes shortly after the Supreme Court banned manual scavenging in major cities, including Kolkata.
Key Takeaways
- Three workers died during sewer cleaning.
- Investigations consider drowning or gas inhalation.
- Bodies will be examined post-recovery.
- Supreme Court bans manual scavenging in six cities.
- NHRC suggests using robots for sewage cleaning.
Kolkata, Feb 2 (NationPress) Three workers involved in the manual cleaning and scavenging of a sewer pipe within the Bantala leather complex on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata tragically lost their lives on Sunday morning.
At the time of reporting, there remained uncertainty regarding the precise cause of their demise.
The police are considering two potential scenarios: either drowning in the accumulated wastewater or inhaling toxic gases from the sewage.
The definitive cause will be determined only after the bodies are retrieved and post-mortem examinations are conducted.
The deceased workers have been identified as Suman Sardar, Hasi Seikh, and Forjem Sheikh.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which oversees the sewerage system in this area, has yet to provide any comments regarding the incident.
Tension has arisen in the vicinity of the occurrence.
Interestingly, just last week, a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia mandated a complete prohibition on manual scavenging and sewage cleaning across six major metropolitan areas, including Kolkata.
The other cities affected by this order from the Apex Court are Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
The Supreme Court has instructed the heads of municipal bodies in these cities to submit affidavits by February 13, outlining the measures implemented to eliminate this practice and detailing when it will be entirely halted in each respective city.
The next court hearing is set for February 19.
Recently, during a discussion convened by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) concerning the rights of manual scavengers and their dignity, experts proposed the use of robots for cleaning sewer lines and septic tanks.
In the discussion titled 'Dignity and Liberty of the Individuals -- Rights of Manual Scavengers', NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian emphasized the need to analyze and comprehend the underlying causes to recommend effective solutions.
