Bhopal. Toxic gas in a sewer in Indore claimed the lives of two sanitation workers and once again brought to light the bitter reality that despite laws and orders, it has not been eradicated. On Monday (March 2) around 6:30 PM, two municipal corporation employees came in contact with poisonous gas and died due to suffocation while cleaning a sewer near Chouthiram Hospital, in front of the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Fruit and Vegetable Market. This incident is not just an accident, but raises questions about a system where, despite the legal ban on manual scavenging and strict directives from the Supreme Court, sanitation workers are forced to enter sewers.
The biggest question is who asked these employees to descend into the sewer line and who permitted such dangerous work without safety equipment. When clear rules exist mandating cleaning with machines and prohibiting human entry into sewers, such incidents indicate how weak the compliance with rules is at the ground level, and sanitation workers are paying the price for this every year with their lives.
As soon as this shocking incident in Indore was reported, police and administration reached the spot. Taking cognizance of the matter, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav announced financial assistance of Rs. 30-30 lakh to the families of both deceased employees. This compensation will be given according to Supreme Court directives.
According to the police, during a cleaning drive by the municipal corporation, a pipe from a sewer suction machine broke and fell into the chamber. To retrieve the pipe, a municipal corporation employee descended into the chamber.
As soon as the employee entered the sewer, he was exposed to toxic gas present there and fell unconscious. Another employee immediately went down to save him, but he too became unconscious due to the gas.
Efforts were made to pull both employees out, but by then it was too late. Both Karan Yadav and Ajay Dodiya died due to suffocation from the poisonous gas.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sumit Kerkatta informed that the bodies of both employees were recovered with the help of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) team. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shri Krishna Lalchandani identified the deceased as Karan Yadav and Ajay Dodia.
Serious questions are being raised about safety standards after the incident. An eyewitness claimed that both sanitation workers had descended into the sewer chamber without any safety equipment.
Eyewitness Aman told the media that when both employees went into the sewer, they had neither gas masks nor other safety equipment. He alleged that administrative help did not arrive for a long time even after the incident.
According to eyewitness Aman, police, municipal corporation employees, and an ambulance reached the spot about two hours after the incident. During this time, bystanders present there tried to pull out both sanitation workers, but they could not be saved.
Today, the country talks about reaching the moon and Mars, but ironically, we still do not have sufficient and effective technology for safe sewer cleaning. Despite clear directives from the Supreme Court, sanitation workers in many places have to enter sewers to work, which is extremely life-threatening. This situation exists even when grand claims are made about having advanced technology in the country.
Often, the pressure pipeline used for sewer cleaning gets stuck due to large stones or waste, preventing the blockage from clearing completely. In such situations, sanitation workers have to enter the sewer to remove the stones or obstruction, where accidents happen due to toxic gas. The question is, despite so much technological progress, why haven't machines or systems been developed that can clean sewers safely without sending any human inside?
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has expressed deep grief over the incident. According to information released by the Chief Minister's Office, financial assistance of Rs. 30-30 lakh will be given to the families of both deceased employees.
This compensation aligns with the Supreme Court's directive ordering compensation of Rs. 30 lakh to the family of the deceased in cases of deaths occurring during sewer or drain cleaning. The Chief Minister has also instructed officials to investigate the matter and take necessary action.
Pravin Dhaulpure, State Spokesperson for the Madhya Pradesh Congress, demanded justice for the families of the sanitation workers who died in the Indore sewer accident. Speaking to The Mooknayak, he said that the families of the deceased employees should be given immediate financial assistance of Rs. 1-1 crore each and a permanent government job should be provided to one member of the family.
Additionally, the injured sanitation workers should be provided completely free treatment and financial assistance of Rs. 25-25 lakh each.
Dhaulpure also demanded that strict action be taken against the officers responsible for this accident by registering a criminal case under IPC Section 304A and other relevant sections. He warned that if the victim families are not provided immediate justice and proper compensation, this matter will be raised through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
It is noteworthy that last year in October, the Supreme Court had directed all states and union territories to provide compensation within three weeks in cases of deaths occurring during sewer or septic tank cleaning.
Earlier in 2023, the Supreme Court had clearly directed that all possible steps be taken to completely eradicate the inhuman practice of manual scavenging. The court had increased the compensation amount from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh in such cases.
Despite these directives, cases of workers dying during sewer cleaning continue to emerge in many parts of the country, continuously raising questions about administrative negligence and lack of safety measures.
In a press release issued by the Indore Municipal Corporation, it was stated that water was being released from a municipal vehicle into the chamber of the drainage line after emptying a septic tank. During this, both sanitation workers died. However, a discrepancy appears between the eyewitness accounts and the municipal corporation's statement. This raises the question of why employees had to descend into the sewer in the first place and whether safety regulations were followed or not.
The practice of manual scavenging was first banned in the country in 1993. Subsequently, in 2013, the "Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act" was enacted, which declared this practice completely illegal.
Under this law, sending any person into a sewer or septic tank without safety gear and machines is prohibited. If a sanitation worker must be sent inside a sewer in an emergency, it is mandatory to follow 27 types of safety regulations.
Despite this, these rules are not followed in many places, leading to continuous incidents of worker deaths during sewer cleaning.
The Madhya Pradesh State Sanitation Worker Commission has taken cognizance of the matter regarding the death of two sanitation workers during sewer cleaning in Indore. Commission Chairman Pratap Karosia has written a letter to the Indore Municipal Commissioner, directing him to immediately submit a detailed investigation report regarding the incident. The letter stated that the tragic death of two sanitation workers during sewer/chamber cleaning on March 2, in the municipal corporation area is extremely serious and concerning.
In a conversation with The Mooknayak, Commission Chairman Karosia said that the letter also asks to clarify what safety standards were followed during the related work, along with information on the action taken or proposed against responsible officers or contractors. Furthermore, directives have been given to provide the commission with details of the ex-gratia amount of Rs. 30-30 lakh given or proposed to the families of the deceased sanitation workers, as well as the proceedings related to their rehabilitation.
Incidents of deaths during sewer and septic tank cleaning continue to occur every year in India. According to central government data, about 377 people died during sewer and septic tank cleaning across the country between 2019 and 2023. Based on this, an average of about 70 to 80 sanitation workers lose their lives each year due to toxic gas or suffocation in sewers. However, social organizations claim the actual number could be higher, as many cases are not officially reported.
Such incidents have been continuously coming to light in recent years as well. According to various reports, at least over 100 deaths were recorded during sewer and septic tank cleaning in 2024 alone. Investigations have also found that in a large number of these incidents, sanitation workers are sent into sewers without safety equipment. Due to the lack of gas masks, oxygen cylinders, and other safety gear, they die from suffocation after being exposed to toxic gas.
If even in a city like Indore, which is ranked number one in the country for cleanliness, sanitation workers are not guaranteed safe working conditions, it raises serious questions about the system. Why are sanitation workers still forced to descend into sewers without adequate safety equipment? Is the value of their lives limited merely to the city's shine?
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