New Delhi, Sept 22 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report ंabout the death of a sanitation worker and the serious injury of three others during sewer cleaning in Ashok Vihar, North-West Delhi.
The rights body said today that it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Delhi Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
According to a statement issued by the Commission on Monday, the incident reportedly occurred on September 16, when four workers were engaged in cleaning a sewer line in Ashok Vihar. One of the workers died, while the remaining three sustained critical injuries.
The NHRC took cognisance of reports which cited fellow workers as alleging that the private construction company that had engaged them failed to provide any protective gear or safety equipment.
The Commission observed that if the contents of the media report are true, it raises a serious issue of human rights violation. Despite the directions and advisories issued by the Supreme Court and the NHRC to all states and union Territories about the safety of sanitation workers, such tragic incidents continue to occur, the statement noted.
The Commission has directed the authorities to submit a comprehensive report that includes the status of the investigation, the medical condition of the injured workers, and details of compensation provided to the family of the deceased and to those injured, added the statement.
The NHRC’s move comes amid growing concerns over the unsafe working conditions of sanitation workers, particularly in the context of continued violations of mandated safety norms and equipment provision, despite legal and policy safeguards.
