NHRC notice to UP govt and DGP over death of three workers in septic tank

New Delhi: The NHRC has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state’s police chief over reports that three workers died after they went down a private septic tank in Vrindavan, officials said on Thursday.

Reportedly, they were electrocuted while repairing a motor inside the tank “without any safety gear”, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.

The rights panel said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report, carried on June 9 that three workers died after they went down a private septic tank of a food outlet in Vrindavan on June 8.

“Reportedly, they were electrocuted while repairing a motor inside the septic tank without any safety gear. They were hired by a private contractor,” it added.

The Commission has observed that the content of the media report, if true, amounts to a violation of the human rights of the victims.

“The negligence on the part of the contractor and the local authorities has caused the loss of three lives. It is indeed a matter of grave concern that the workers are still being exposed to life-threatening acts at the behest of the public authorities without the necessary safety equipment,” the statement said.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Uttar Pradesh, seeking a detailed report.

The report is expected to include the status of the FIR registered in this connection, action taken against persons responsible, as well as relief and rehabilitation provided to the next of kin of the deceased workers by the authorities, it added.

The Commission has been consistently advocating a total ban on activities of hazardous cleaning without adequate and proper protective or safety gear or equipment and also has advocated suitable use of work-friendly and technology-based robotic machines, besides fixing responsibility and accountability of the authorities concerned in case, death is caused to any sanitary worker while undertaking hazardous cleaning work, it said.

The NHRC issued an advisory on September 24, 2021, about the ‘Protection of Human Rights of the Persons Engaged in Hazardous Cleaning’ to the Union, state governments, and local authorities to ensure the complete eradication of such practices.

In the advisory, it is specifically observed that in case of any sanitary work or hazardous cleaning work, the local authority and the contractor or employers are to be held responsible and accountable, jointly and severally irrespective of the type of hiring or engagement of sanitary workers, the statement said.

Besides this, the decision given by the Supreme Court in “Safai Karamchari Andolan & Ors. v/s. Union of India and Others (WP(C) No. 583 of 2003) provides the specific mandate that it is the responsibility and duty of the local authorities and

other agencies to use modern technology for cleaning sewers”, it added.