UK body to bring hand gas alarms for sewer workers

Ludhiana: When sewermen continue putting their lives at risk by entering manholes, a UK-based organisation has come up with a solution, which they are soon going to take up with the local bodies department. Ludhiana-based NRI Charan Kanwal Sekhon, chairman of Seva Trust (UK), is planning to bring hand gas alarms to Punjab with the help of which poisonous gases can be detected from 1.5 metres.
In the sixth such incident in the past one year, sewerman Sandeep Kumar (34) fell unconscious while trying to open choked sewerage pipes in Shimlapuri on Thursday. It is alleged Sandeep was forced to enter the manhole without a safety kit. As a result, he fell unconscious after inhaling the poisonous gases.

Sekhon said: “There is an automated gas detector used in UK which is provided by the government. It basically detects gases like carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. Out of these, hydrogen sulfide is the most dangerous, and mainly found in sewerages, which can kill a person who inhales it. This alarming system detects gases from 1.5 metres and starts beeping.”

“There are different alarm monitors available at different prices in UK, which detects different kinds of gases. Under a pilot project, we are planning to bring the alarm system which will detect hydrogen sulfide. Our trust has written to the local bodies department for it. However, we have been asked to wait until the elections end,” added Sekhon.

As of now, the trust has given two units of gas detectors to a government school in Barundi village of Ludhiana and a college in Sudhar for awareness. Further, Sekhon said: “Usually, children of sewermen study in government schools. Therefore, we are making children aware of this system so that they can further talk to their parents about it. If the association of sewermen demands it, the government will also take it seriously. Hundreds of lives of sewermen are lost by inhaling poisonous gases. Such incidents can easily be curbed with these gas detectors.”

Senior deputy mayor Shaam Sundar Malhotra said: “The device seems to be really beneficial. We will definitely adopt it for the safety of sewermen, for which we will contact Sekhon, but after the elections.”