Gwalior: two sewage workers die at work, 10 lakh compensation announced

On Thursday, around 11:30 am, two sanitation workers in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh died due to the poisonous gases in the chamber of the manhole. The two men were cleaning the sewage line in the Resham Mill area. The Municipal Corporation commissioner of Gwalior, Harsh Singh had stated that strict action will be taken against the contractor who had hired the workers. 

"The person who entered the manhole first did not come out for some time after which the second person entered. Both were pulled out later and rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced them dead. They died of asphyxiation," Singh informed.

The deceased are identified as Vikram and Aman Gujral, as per the statement given by their brother to the media. He further stated that the supervisor had fled the scene while the event unfolded. The city Superintendent of Police Ravi Bhadoria has stated that the bodies of the workers were sent for post-mortem. Once the Municipal corporation provides a report on the same, an FIR will be filed accordingly. The contractor and the municipal officials were blamed for their negligence by the families of the deceased. The state’s Energy Minister, Prathyuman Singh Tomar has offered compensation of 10 lakhs to the family of the deceased and work for their legal heirs. 

Deaths in India due to sewage cleaning

In February 2023, according to a report by the Times of India, around 308 deaths in sewage and septic tanks were reported between 2018-2022, by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the Rajya Sabha.

The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, mentioned the various mechanisms in the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). One such mechanism is identifying the sewage/septic tank cleaners and connecting them to the benefits provided by the government For example, health insurance can be provided under the “Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana”. Further, he mentioned that the process to extend NAMASTE has been initiated in all the urban local bodies of the country. 

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