Odisha: Two minor girls die as they fall in septic tank

While they were playing over the septic tank, the slab atop the tank covering it caved in and, they fell inside the tank.

Berhampur (Odisha): Two minor girls on Wednesday were killed after they fell into the septic tank at their maternal grandparents’ home at Takarada village in Sorada block under Badagada police limits in Ganjam district. The deceased have been identified as Dibya Sethi (6) of Siddhapur village and Jasmati Sethi (5) of Kaliaguda village.

While they were playing over the septic tank, the slab atop the tank covering it caved in and, they fell inside the tank. When their grandparents began to search for them, found that Jasmati and Dibya had fallen inside the tank. Jasmati and Dibya were rushed to the Government Hospital at Sorada where they were declared dead by the attending doctors. Badagada Police have sent the bodies for autopsy.

As many as 400 people have died while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks since 2017, the government said on Tuesday. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said no death has been reported due to engaging in manual scavenging.

"However, 233 persons have died due to accidents while undertaking hazardous cleaning of sewer and septic tanks during the last three years and current year," he said in a written response. He gave data of number of such deaths recorded since 2017. According to the data, 48 such deaths were recorded in 2022, 49 in 2021, 19 in 2020, 117 in 2019, 67 in 2018 and 100 in 2017.