The recurring tragedy of manual scavenging claimed two more lives in Haryana today, highlighting a persistent lack of safety enforcement for sanitation workers. The incident occurred in a residential pocket of Hisar where a private firm had been sub-contracted for maintenance work.
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The Incident: Around 11:30 AM, the first worker entered the manhole to clear a blockage. When he stopped responding, the second worker went down to rescue him without any protective gear. Within minutes, both were overpowered by lethal gases like hydrogen sulfide and methane, losing consciousness inside the pit.
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Delayed Rescue: Fellow workers and locals eventually pulled the duo out after nearly 45 minutes. They were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Hisar, where doctors declared them “brought dead.”
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Contractor Negligence: Family members of the deceased staged a protest outside the hospital, alleging that the contractor, Pradeep Kumar, had forced the workers to enter the sewer despite their requests for safety masks. They claimed that the contractor fled the scene immediately after the incident.
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Police Action: The police have booked the contractor and the supervising agency. “We have initiated a probe into why mechanical cleaning was not used and why the workers were not provided with gas detectors and oxygen cylinders, which are mandatory under Supreme Court guidelines,” said a senior investigating officer.
Government Responsibility: The incident has reignited the debate over the “Zero Manual Scavenging” goal in Haryana. Labor unions have demanded a compensation of ₹30 lakh for each family, citing recent judicial precedents for deaths occurring during hazardous cleaning.
