NEW DELHI: A 32-year-old laborer lost his life in northwest Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on Sunday while cleaning an eight feet deep sewage tank at Delhi Jal Board pump house. AK Lall, Deputy Commissioner of police said, “The DJB had given the contract of cleaning and repairing the tank to a private company — KKSpun India limited.”
Lall further added a case under IPC Section 304A and sections 7 and 9 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act has been registered.
Police sources informed that they have detained a supervisor of the firm, who was reportedly present at the spot when the incident took place.
Eyewitnesses informed the police that there were three other men with the deceased for cleaning the tank. “The victim was inside the tank for half-an-hour, before the other workers realised he was not moving. The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained. However, as per preliminary investigation, when Dooman Ray opened the valve, water gushed into the tank and he drowned,” said a police officer, adding that they are verifying if he was wearing the requisite safety gear.
A DJB official said, “The Delhi Jal Board is extremely sorry to hear about the loss. The matter is being looked into and action will be taken accordingly.” A worker and eyewitness, Dayanand Kumar, said Ray got into the tank to open the valve. “It is a routine exercise — one of us goes inside with a rope around his waist, while the rest hold on to him… We pulled him out and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.”
Twenty two people have lost their lives while cleaning the sewers, septic tanks and rainwater harvesting pits since 2017.