Two migrant workers die while cleaning sewage tank

ERODE: Two migrant workers, natives of Jharkhand, died while cleaning the effluent storage tank at a textile printing unit in Periyasemur, near here, on Sunday.

The two, Maravadi Pandit (38) and Mansur Ansari (56), who were living in the neighbouring Chinnasemur area, entered the tank, with effluents 3 ft deep, in the forenoon to clean it. They were not given masks or other safety equipment.

As they did not come out and were suspected to have fainted, other workers called firemen to rescue them. However, they found that the two workers were already dead from the effects of the toxic gases from the tank. The Erode Veerappanchathram police have registered a case and conducting an inquiry.

Local people say that if the Inspector of Factories and other Labour Department officials regularly visit such factories and ensure that safety measures are in place, such accidents would not occur. The owners blatantly violate safety rules to save even small amounts of money, they say.

They said several such incidents had taken place in recent years; three men had died in a tannery and seven in a textile unit in Perundurai, while three died in a textile unit in Naripallam, Erode. When such incidents occur, officials make a show of insisting of safety equipment for workers, but forget about it in a short time, they said.