Rajasthan: Sanitation worker and minor helper suffocate in sewer line
What's the story
A tragedy struck Khedli town in Rajasthan's Alwar district when two sanitation workers died of suffocation while cleaning a sewer line at a paper mill.
Lacchi (50) and Hemraj (13), also called Akash, son of Sagar Valmiki, have been identified as the victims.
Their untimely deaths have led to protests by the victims' families and Valmiki community members.
Incident details
How did the incident unfold?
An official said Lacchi had entered the sewer line for cleaning, but didn't return even after a long time had elapsed.
Concerned, Hemraj then went down to check on him and collapsed.
"Both were later pulled out and rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared them dead," the official said.
Community response
Protests erupt over deaths of sanitation workers
As soon as Khedli Police Station Officer Dhirendra Gurjar got the news, he rushed to the spot.
The victims' families and the Valmiki community soon assembled at the hospital and demanded compensation and a government job for a kin.
Nagar Palika Vice Chairman Sandesh Khandelwal, Councillor Murarilal Sharma, and Business Committee President Pramod Bansal met bereaved families at the hospital to listen to their concerns.
Law enforcement
Manual sewer cleaning is prohibited in India
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, bans manual cleaning of sewers in India.
It prohibits manually entering sewer lines and manholes for cleaning, and makes safety equipment necessary, gas testing on a regular basis, and monitoring of workers during such tasks.
Penalties for violations are severe; they seek to protect workers involved in such hazardous work from harm.