Sewer deaths: DJB puts blame on private contractors

At least 25 labourers have died in sewer-related mishaps across the Capital over the past 15 months raising a serious question mark over Delhi Jal Board’s commitment to the safety of the workforce deployed for such hazardous work.

In the latest incident, two labourers — Ganesh Rao, 35 and Hari, 20 — died of asphyxiation after inhaling poisonous gas inside a sewer at the Wazirpur Industrial Area this past Monday evening. Preliminary investigations carried out by the DJB revealed that the labourers were neither carrying any safety equipment nor was any first-aid kit available at the site.

Senior DJB officials investigating the sewer deaths conceded that there was total violation of the safety guidelines for workers issued by the National Human Rights Commission. Incidentally, all the sewer deaths were reported at places where private contractors have been entrusted with the task.

The NHRC guidelines require that labourers deployed in sewers should be given proper training besides being insured. Also, they should be provided safety equipment including helmet, gas mask, body protective suit, hand gloves and safety belts, sources said referring to the NHRC guideline. “It also requires that rescue equipment like artificial respirators, first aid, portable ladders and forced ventilation system be kept at the site. However, the guidelines are rarely followed,” the official said.

Though the DJB inquiries held the private contractors responsible for the sewer deaths and recommended initiating major penalty against them, officials conceded that so far not a single contractor had been penalised. The DJB list revealed that one death occurred at Brahmpuri Sewer Pumping Station in March 2003, two at Shahdara (March 2003), three at Shakti Nagar (April 2003), five at the Rithala station (June 2003), four at Uttam Nagar (October 2003), one at Gautampuri Badarpur in May, and two at Samaipur Badli (June 11).

Monday’s incident, sources alleged, indicated that continuance of such a large number of incidents only indicated negligence and poor monitoring on the part of DJB officials. It is believed that the DJB had a big workforce of more than 6,000 skilled labourers at its 110 offices across Delhi for such work, but the water utility was still hiring private contractors for its sewer work, who in turn not only deployed unskilled works but also no safety measure was being taken in violation of all rules and regulations.

While conceding that they were concerned with such a large number of sewer deaths in the Capital, the DJB officially claimed it had issued notices to private contractors and also ensured that adequate compensation was paid to the family members of the deceased.