Man Dies While Cleaning Sewer in Delhi’s CBD Ground Ahead of Modi Rally

The workers did not have any safety gear, police said.

New Delhi: A 24-year-old sanitation worker died and another suffered from suffocation after they inhaled toxic fumes while cleaning a deep sewer in Shahdara on Sunday, police said.

Ravi died in the incident that took place near a BSES office at the CBD ground in Karkardooma, police said. According to the Times of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a rally at this ground on Monday.

Police that Sanjay (35), who suffered from suffocation, is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

Police said a private contractor had engaged five workers, including Ravi and Sanjay, to clean a 15 feet deep sewer. The work to clean it was given by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), they said.

The workers did not have any safety gear, police said.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Amit Sharma said the matter was reported around 1 pm after which a police team rushed to the spot and found that two men were stuck inside the sewer.

The team then pulled them out by using ropes and rushed them to a nearby hospital, he said.

Ravi was declared brought dead by doctors and Sanjay, whose condition is critical, is undergoing treatment at the LNJP hospital, he added.

A case was registered at Anand Vihar police station on the complaint of labour against the private contractor, a senior police official said. The contractor is absconding and an investigation has been initiated into the matter, he said.

Ravi was the first worker to enter the sewer. When he didn’t come out after some time, Sanjay went inside, police said.

The other workers called the police after they both did not come out after a while, they said. A worker alleged that the contractor told them that they would get paid Rs 350 per day for the job.

The government’s apathy towards manual scavengers is now well documented. Bezwada Wilson, National Convener of Safai Karmachari Andolan, tweeted about how that apathy has continued in Budget 2020.