NHRC issues notice to Maharashtra govt over death of four sewage workers

NHRC India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that four people, all aged about 20 years, died of suffocation after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a private sewage treatment plant in a residential township in Virar area of Mumbai in Maharashtra, said an official statement from NHRC.

Taking cognizance of a media report about the death of four people while cleaning a sewage treatment plant without protective gear in Mumbai, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday issued notice to the Maharashtra government calling for a detailed report within four weeks. NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that four persons, all aged about 20 years, died of suffocation after allegedly inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a private sewage treatment plant in a residential township in the Virar area of Mumbai in Maharashtra, according to an official statement from the NHRC.

Reportedly, the preliminary investigation revealed that the workers, all of them residents of the Vasai area, had entered the sewage plant without any safety gear. The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a violation of human rights. The negligence on the part of the contractor in the instant case is apparent that the victims were deputed to execute such hazardous work without any safety precautions violating the law and the prescribed norms as well as the NHRC advisory.

It is the duty of the state authorities to spread awareness amongst the common people about the danger of hazardous cleaning without using safety gear/ equipment, the NHRC said in the statement. Accordingly, the NHRC has issued the notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Maharashtra calling for a detailed report on the matter. It should include action taken against the guilty and the status of compensation if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased persons.

The Commission would also like to know whether the Apex Court guidelines and NHRC advisory are being complied with by the authorities concerned. The response is expected within four weeks, added the official statement. According to the media report, carried out on April 10, 2024, all four victims were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead. The two other workers, who went near the plant to look for them, also complained of uneasiness and needed treatment. (ANI)

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