• Source:JND
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A 40-year-old man died and three others were hospitalised in Delhi’s Ashok Vihar-II after falling into a sewer while cleaning it near an apartment complex on Tuesday, following exposure to toxic gas. Deputy Police Commissioner (North West) Bhisham Singh said the incident was reported around 11:30 pm near Harihar Apartments.

The deceased, identified as Arvind, a resident of Kasganj, Uttar Pradesh, was rushed to DDU Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The three others, Sonu and Narayana, also from Kasganj, and Naresh, a native of Bihar, were admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition after being brought in unconscious. Following a PCR call reporting the incident, Delhi Police and emergency teams responded, and a crime team later conducted a forensic inspection of the site.

“Arvind, along with three others, Sonu and Narayana, also from Kasganj, and Naresh from Bihar, entered a sewer as part of ongoing cleaning work when they fell unconscious, allegedly due to toxic gases,” a senior police officer said, according to the TOI report. 

FIR Filed 

A case has been registered in connection with the incident under Sections 106(1) (death due to negligence), 289 (negligent conduct involving machinery), and Sections 7 and 9 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. 

“Preliminary inquiries revealed that the sewer cleaning work was underway for several days, carried out under the supervision of Brijgopal Construction Company. The company’s manager has been summoned for questioning,” the senior police officer added.

Manual scavenging is banned in India under the 2013 Act, which forbids the hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks without proper safety equipment. If found responsible, those involved could face severe legal action. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident and whether safety norms or legal provisions were violated.

Sewer Deaths 

1. In February, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that there were about 294 sewer-related deaths across India between 2020 and 2024.

2. The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, enacted in 1993, outlawed manual scavenging.

3. In January, the Supreme Court followed up on its October 2023 directive, instructing governments to ensure the complete phased eradication of manual sewer cleaning.

4. The court also sought directions to ensure that any sewer cleaning carried out through contractors did not require individuals to enter sewers.

5. On January 29, the Supreme Court ordered municipal commissioners or chief executive officers of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad to submit affidavits detailing how and when manual scavenging/sewer cleaning had been stopped.