The spot of the incident on Sunday. (Express Photo)
In the 10th such death in over a month, a sanitation worker died and three others fell ill while cleaning a Public Works Department (PWD) sewer line inside Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital Sunday. While the deceased has been identified as Rishi Pal (41), those who fell ill have been identified as Kiran Pal (25), Bhishan (30) and Sumit (25). Those injured are recuperating at LNJP Hospital.
Barring Sumit, the others had been cleaning sewers for more than a decade, police added. Police said the four were hired to clean the sewer by Piyush, a private contractor with Anuja Enterprises. He is absconding. Police have registered a case against him under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide). The four were, on Saturday, given the job of cleaning three sewer lines inside the hospital. They cleared one the same day.
On Sunday, around 12 pm, the four were clearing some debris in ward number 19, when their supervisor asked them to unclog a 15-ft sewer line inside the hospital. “It was our holiday. But we get paid if we work on holidays. We are paid around Rs 700 for a day’s work and earn Rs 17,000 in a month. So we decided to clean the second sewer line immediately,” said Sumit.
The workers said that they usually carry a small ladder with them to climb down inside sewer line, but didn’t have one on Sunday. Rishi Pal reportedly instructed Sumit to get a makeshift ladder while Bhishan and he tied ropes around their waists and entered the manhole. Within minutes, they were rendered unconscious by noxious gases. Sumit started shouting for help even as Kiran took off his shirt and entered the manhole, only to be knocked unconscious by the toxic fumes.
Around 12:30 pm, the Delhi Fire Services received a call and rushed three fire tenders to the spot. Sumit was sent in to rescue the men, and pulled out all three. All the four were shifted to the emergency ward at LNJP Hospital, where the doctors declared Rishi Pal brought dead. The three others were put under observation. Sumit, who was discharged, later went to the nearest police post and gave his statement.
Rishi Pal is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, who rushed to the hospital from Welcome, Shahdara, soon after getting the news. Family members of the other three men stood by their side at the emergency ward. “They knew each other for years. They used to clean garbage together. Rishi Pal’s family depended on him,” said Rakhi, Bhishan’s sister. Speaking to The Indian Express, Jyoti, the victim’s daughter, said, “Today, my father left for work in the morning like always. He had been cleaning sewers for the past 15 years. He had never used any protective gear. One of his friends informed us that he is no more. We still don’t know how it happened.”
Taking stock of the death, a government spokesperson said, “The minister has asked for a report in the matter. Strict action will be taken against erring individuals.” Health and PWD Minister Satyendar Jain visited LNJP Hospital in the evening and has sought a detailed report in the incident. He said action will be taken on the basis of the report.
