The incident took place at Jai Malhar building in Kadamwak Wasti in Haveli taluka of Pune district THREE PERSONS died of suffocation during sludge-cleaning and repairs of a septic tank at a residential building in Pune on Wednesday. A fourth person, who took ill while trying to save them, also died later.
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The incident took place around 10.30 am at Jai Malhar Building in Kadamwak Wasti in Haveli taluka of Pune district, nearly 15 kilometres from the city centre. Officials said the three of the deceased were involved in the repairs and manual desludging of the septic tank — a process that involves removing the sludge accumulating in the tank.
Police have identified the deceased as Rupchand Navnath Kamble (35), who was hired by the building owner as a contractor for the desludging work, his two aides Sikandar Popat Kasbe (44) and Krushna Datta Jadhav (25), all residents of the same Kadamvak Vasto area and a tenant of the building, Padmakar Maruti Waghmare (36), who succumbed trying to rescue the three others. The building is owned by one Bhimaji Kalbhor, whom the police were questioning.
Dattatray Ambure, a resident of a neighbouring building said, “We know that the work on removing the sludge was on from Tuesday. Till late on Tuesday night, they could suction out predominantly liquid sludge from the tank and very thick sludge of around two feet depth remained at the bottom.”
Fire Officer Vijay Mahajan from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) Fire Brigade said, “We believe that there was intense accumulation of toxic gases inside the septic tank which is of 10 feet depth and five feet broad and 10 feet in length. The tank has a very small opening of 1.5 feet by 2 feet located next to the building staircase, through which one person had entered the tank. The residents have later told us that initially one of the persons had entered the tank for cleaning of remaining sludge and some repairs. As he inhaled noxious gas and collapsed, two others working with him also entered the tank to help him out and inhaled toxic fumes. The fourth person, a tenant who has a flat next to the stairs, tried to rescue the three but he too collapsed.” After realizing that multiple people had suffocated, the local residents called the fire brigade.
“By the time we reached, the residents had started making efforts to take out the tenant. When he was taken out, he was still breathing, suggesting he had not drowned in the sludge. He was taken to a hospital but we now know that he died later. Our rescuers initially tried to enter with safety equipment and breathing apparatus but could not because of the very small opening. We took out two persons with the help of hooks and special rope knots. It was after we stopped our rescue operation that we got to know there was a third person from the working crew who could not be seen around. We again launched a search and found his body.”
Senior inspector Rajendra Mokashi, in-charge of Loni Kalbhor police station said, “Prima facie, the three workers had no safety gear. The one who had taken the contract is among the dead.”
Late on Wednesday night police filed an offence against the building owner Bhimaji Kalbhor under Section 304-A of IPC pertaining to causing death by negligence and relevant sections of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavenger and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
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