Ministry Team Inspects Fatal Accident Scene, Opposition Protests Intensify

A team from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment visited the site in Thiruvananthapuram where sanitation worker Christopher Joy died. His death has sparked opposition protests against the ruling Left Democratic Front. Rescue efforts were hampered by accumulated waste, and compensation was granted to Joy's mother.

A central team from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment inspected the Amayizhanjan Canal in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, following the death of sanitation worker Christopher Joy. The inspection was headed by M. Venkatesan, Chairman of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis. Joy, 42, drowned while cleaning garbage.

Accompanying the team were Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Anu Kumari and DCP Nidhin Raj, among other officials. Joy's body was discovered on July 15 after being missing for 46 hours in the drainage canal.

Employed by a private agency contracted by the Railways, Joy was cleaning a section of the canal that runs through railway property. Rescue operations were hindered by long-accumulated waste. The opposition has protested against the ruling Left Democratic Front over Joy's death.

On July 20, Mahila Congress workers held a protest march, leading to police using water cannons and detaining protesters. The BJP also organized a protest on July 18. Fire Force, National Disaster Response Force, and Indian Navy personnel were involved in the rescue, alongside scuba divers and a camera-fitted robot, but were thwarted by solid waste buildup.

The Kerala Cabinet granted Rs 10 lakh in compensation to Joy's mother on July 17, following his tragic accident.

(With inputs from agencies.)