Lajpat Nagar sewer deaths: DJB engineer suspended

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has suspended a junior engineer (JE) of Delhi Jal Board for his alleged involvement in the Lajpat Nagar incident where three sewerage workers died.

The government and DJB are still trying to identify the contractor who appointed those manual scavengers.

"We found out that this JE was involved in the case, and it is likely that he knew that the work was going on," said Delhi Water Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

The minister further said that the JE had sent a car to the spot, suggesting he had an idea about the work that was in progress.

The Water department said that if the JE knew about the work, he should have asked the workers to take precautions before starting it.

The Department is still trying to figure out his level of involvement in the case. "The main accused is the contractor. But he is still missing," said Gautam.

The Water department has also formed an investigating committee to identify all the people involved in the case.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had already asked the DJB to submit a detailed report of the incident.

He had also announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for each of the three families and a government job for one member of these families.

While cleaning a sewer line in Lajpat Nagar on August 6, the three sanitation workers had collapsed from asphyxiation.

After a fourth sanitation worker entered the line to find the bodies of his colleagues, they were rushed to AIIMS by police and other rescue agencies. The three were declared brought dead on arrival.

In the recent past, nearly nine sanitation workers have died while manual cleaning tanks and sewers.

The Delhi government noted that use of manual scavengers is illegal as per Supreme Court and any violation of this act is a punishable offense.