Manual scavenging: KMC to probe 3 workers' demise; violation of SC order

Kolkata, Feb 3 (IANS) Authorities of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) have decided to start a thorough probe into the death of three workers on Sunday morning engaged in scavenging and manual cleaning of a sewerage drain pipe within Bantala leather complex on the eastern outskirts of the city.

A couple of supervising staff attached to the sewerage-cum-drainage department of the KMC are all set to face department proceedings.

KMC insiders said that the top authorities of the corporation including the city mayor Firhad Hakim have taken the matter quite seriously considering that the unfortunate deaths have caused immense embarrassment to the biggest civic body in West Bengal.

The mishap took place just four days after a Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia had ordered a complete ban on manual scavenging and sewage cleaning in six major metropolitan cities including Kolkata.

“Considering the seriousness of the matter, the Mayor himself rushed to the spot of the accident on Sunday. Besides taking an immediate decision to provide a compensation of Rs 10,00,000 to the family of each victim, the Mayor has also taken a decision to start a thorough internal probe into the matter,” said a senior official of KMC who did not wish to be named.

It is learnt that there would be two aspects in the internal and departmental probe.

The first is under whose instructions the three unfortunate workers went down into the sewerage drain pipe for manual scavenging and cleaning.

The second aspect of the probe is whether they entered the sewerage drain pipe without the necessary safety measures and equipment as applicable in such cases.

There is confusion on whether the mishap was due to drowning in the wastewater accumulated at the sewerage drain pipe or inhaling poisonous gas in the sewage and the matter will be clear only after a detailed autopsy report in the matter is available.

As per the apex court order last week, scavenging and manual cleaning of sewerage drain pipes is totally banned in the six cities of Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad.

The Apex Court directed the heads of the municipal bodies in these cities to file an affidavit at the apex court by February 13, explaining the steps taken to stop this practice and how and when the system has been completely stopped in respective cities.

Now with the next hearing in the matter being scheduled at the Apex Court on February 19, KMC insiders feel the authorities might have to face uncomfortable and embarrassing questions there on the day of the next hearing.