New Delhi: The NHRC on Thursday issued notice to the Delhi government and the city's police chief over the death of two workers after they fell into a six-foot-deep pit while working at a sewage treatment plant in east Delhi's Kondli area. The Delhi Police has registered a case in connection with the incident.
"The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of yet another incident in the national capital, wherein two persons died after falling into a pit at a sewage treatment plant in Kondli on March 30. Reportedly, the victims were repairing a motor at the Delhi Jal Board facility," the rights panel said in a statement. The Commission said it has issued notices to the Delhi chief secretary, commissioner of police, and chief executive officer of the Delhi Jal Board, seeking a detailed report within four weeks.
The report is expected to include action against the responsible official functionaries along with the relief and rehabilitation provided to the next of kin of the deceased persons, it added. Expressing serious concern over the continued incidents of deaths in sewage-related work in the absence of proper equipment and safety measures, the Commission has observed that apparently, "due diligence is not being exercised" by the authorities concerned despite directions from the apex court and NHRC's own interventions.
The Commission time and again has emphasised that the health and safety of sewage workers is of prime importance and any laxity on the part of the employer poses a "serious threat to the right to life and right to health of these workers," the statement said. "There should be systemic efforts to take care of their safety concerns and health hazards. Appropriate training, use of technology and proper equipment can go a long way in mitigating the risks to which these workers are exposed to," it said.
PTI
