The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has written to the Delhi government to take “appropriate action” in connection with the wretched living conditions of migrant workers staying in shipping containers placed along a road behind Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in central Delhi.
The commission sent the letter following a complaint by two activists, who cited an article published in The Hindu on Sunday about the challenges being faced by the workers.
In the letter to the Labour Commissioner of Delhi, the NHRC said it received the complaint on January 30.
“The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within 8 weeks associating the complainant/victim and to inform him/her and to the commission of the action taken in the matter. The case is closed,” the letter read. The complaint was filed by two student activists — Aman Banka and Aditya Dubey — according to the letter.
More than 500 migrant workers live in unhygienic conditions in about 50 containers in central Delhi. They are engaged in construction work of government offices — being built by the Central Public Works Department CPWD through a private company — in the vicinity. This building is being constructed to shift some offices which are affected due to the Central Vista redevelopment project.
Speaking to The Hindu, the workers living in the containers had complained of extreme heat and cold conditions, lack of clean toilets and washing areas, besides water dripping from the roof and cramped spaces inside the containers.
