Man dies in DJB sewer line, supervisor detained

NEW DELHI: A 32-year-old man drowned inside a sewer line in Jahangirpuri in northwest Delhi on Sunday morning. The work had been outsourced by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to a private contractor who had sent in the victim along with other workers to conduct repairs.




Additional DCP (northwest) A K Lall said that a case has been registered under IPC Section 304A (causing death due to negligence) and sections 7 and 9 of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act. The victim, Dooman Rai, was a native of Katihar in Bihar. His body has been preserved in the mortuary for autopsy.

The incident occurred near G-Block of Jahangirpuri at 5.30am on Sunday. Police said that the work of repairing the sewer line passing near the DJB pump house had been given to M/s K K Spun India Ltd.

Rai was sent inside the sewer with three others. As he entered and opened a valve to check for damage, poisonous gases accumulated inside got released leaving him nauseated. As sewage filled the place where Rai was standing, he called out for help.

Eyewitnesses told police that Rai was pulled out in an unconscious state. He was taken to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. A preliminary medical examination has revealed that the victim suffered asphyxiation and then drowned.

The supervisor, who was present at the time of the incident, has been detained for questioning. They are also planning to ask the company owner to join the investigation. The statements of the other workers have been recorded. The workers claimed that Rai didn’t have a protection mask or other safety gear. They added that there was not enough manpower to pull Rai out immediately from the sewer due to which the rescue operation was delayed.

CCTV footage from the area is being scanned to ascertain the sequence of events. Information is being sought from local civic agencies about the work that was being carried out.

The victim was the sole breadwinner of his family. He is survived by his wife and one-year-old daughter who live in Jahangirpuri. Rai’s family who live in Katihar have been informed. They would be reaching Delhi to collect his mortal remains for the last rites.

A DJB spokesperson said, “We are looking into the matter. An investigation will be done and action taken against the guilty.”