Noida sewer deaths: Future uncertain, kin seek compensation

NOIDA: The pall of gloom was palpable on rain-soaked Friday in JJ Colony of Sector 9 where the three sanitation workers, who suffocated to death inside a narrow sewer line in Noida's Sector 110 on Thursday, lived.

All the three, Rajesh Kumar (28) and his nephews Ravindra (25) and Vikas (19), were originally from Jharkhand.

While Rajesh and Ravindra had been working as sanitation workers in Noida for the past six years, it was the first day at work for Vikas.

Rajesh is survived by his four-month pregnant wife Chameli (25) and a three-year-old daughter Anjali, who live in a rented one-room accommodation in the colony. Vikas (19) lived next door with his parents Upendra and Savita, sister Rune (17) and brother Mukesh (12) while Ravindra lived alone in the same colony.

Rajesh's widow Chameli, who has been breaking down frequently since Thursday night, said she was worried about their future now.

"He left home after breakfast around 9am on Thursday and was expected to return as usual by 7pm. When he didn't, I tried to reach him on his mobile phone but it was switched off. Around an hour later, a neighbour told me that Rajesh had met with an accident and asked me to go to the district hospital," she recalled.

"I do not know what to do now. My husband was a school drop-out. Ravindra had not completed his studies either. Thus, both worked together as sanitation workers. The district administration and Noida Authority should provide us with some financial support," she demanded.

Vikash's mother Savita said he wanted to support his father Upendra, who works as street food vendor and has an irregular income. "Ravindra had come to our house on Thursday morning and asked Vikash to get ready for work. It was the first time when he had gone for sanitation work," she said. "We had gone to a local temple for Navratra puja in the evening when a local told us about his death."

Ravindra's Noida room was locked when this correspondent visited the colony this morning. Police said he was unmarried, so they had informed his parents in Gonda of Jharkhand and they were on their way to Noida.

Eyewitnesses claimed that Thursday's incident not only highlighted the deplorable condition of sanitation workers but also exposed the lack of preparedness on part of Noida Authority, the district administration and the police to deal with such an accident.

Suneel Mishra, an eyewitness, said he saw three workers going inside the pit, one by one, but they did not come out. "We called police, who came and primarily got busy in dispersing the crowd, rather than rescuing the victims. They were rescued three hours later," he said.

Shahwez Khan, SHO, Phase-II police station, said the family members of the three workers had not filed any complaint yet while Noida Authority officials had submitted an informatory application to police. "Contractor Somveer has switched off his phone and gone incommunicado. Police have not registered any case," he added.