Every year many sanitation workers are dying untimely and painfully, ruining their families. The families of the deceased do not even get compensation or jobs on time.
Alwar- A tragic incident in Khedli town of Alwar district of Rajasthan on Saturday, April 19, spread sensation in the entire area. Two people, Lacchi Ram (50 years) and Hemraj alias Akash, died of suffocation due to poisonous gas and getting trapped in the swamp while cleaning the sewer tank in a paper mill near Navkar Vatika. This incident has raised serious questions about the working style of the municipality and the safety of the sanitation workers.
According to local newspapers, workers were sent down without any safety equipment to clean the sewerage line and chamber in Khedli town. Lacchi Ram, son of Mangtu, and Hemraj alias Akash, son of Sagar Valmiki, came in contact with poisonous gas during cleaning work and got trapped in the swamp, resulting in their death. After this incident, the local administration and municipality officials are silent, only saying that the matter is being investigated.
AJAK i.e. Dr. Ambedkar Anusuchit Jati Adhikari Karmchari Association (AJAK) organization has taken a tough stand on this incident. The organization’s president Shriram Chordia has written a letter to the officials, including the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, demanding immediate action in this matter.
The letter states that this incident is not only painful, but it also reflects the administration’s apathy towards sanitation workers. The organization said that similar incidents have happened in Rajasthan before, where employees have died while cleaning sewer lines and tanks. Despite this, the state government has not taken any concrete steps in this direction, which is a matter of concern for the cleaning community.
The letter cites Section 7 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, which clearly states that no person, local authority, or agency shall employ any person for “hazardous cleaning” of sewer lines or septic tanks. Violation of this provision is punishable under Section 9 with imprisonment of up to two years, fine of up to two lakh rupees, or both for the first offence, and imprisonment of up to five years, fine of up to five lakh rupees, or both for subsequent offences.
However, despite the implementation of this law, it is common for local bodies in Rajasthan to send workers to clean sewers and septic tanks without safety equipment. This leads to untimely and painful deaths of several sanitation workers every year, ruining their families. The families of the deceased do not even get timely compensation or jobs.
The cleaners who go down the sewer are not provided any safety equipment due to which there is always a danger of their death. Ajaak has put forward some demands in the matter of cleaning of sewerage tank in Kherli, which include:
- During cleaning, the families of the deceased should be provided immediate rehabilitation and financial assistance of Rs. 1 crore should be provided to each family.
- One member of the dependents of the deceased families should be given a government job.
- To prevent recurrence of such incidents in future, technical security should be provided at the level of the state government and Municipal Corporation, Council, Municipal Corporation and Municipalities.
- FIR should be registered against the guilty contractor and the guilty and negligent officers of the concerned supervision who carry out the sewerage cleaning work and strict action should be taken.
- In future, the Prohibition of Employment of Workers Lifting Dirt Manually and Their Rehabilitation Act 2013 should be effectively implemented and the cleaners should not be sent down into sewer lines/septic tanks/manholes etc. in all the bodies. The Kherli incident is not an isolated case. Safai Karamcharis are constantly risking their lives while cleaning sewers in urban areas of Rajasthan due to lack of safety equipment and mechanised cleaning systems. Such frequent deaths are not only devastating families but also highlighting the failure of the administration.
Courtesy : Geetha Sunil Pillai, Hindi News