Civic officials said that Mahesh, a sewage cleaner, entered into a newly constructed manhole to remove gunny bags that were placed to prevent sewage from entering into the manhole.
Published: 16th June 2022 05:56 AM | Last Updated: 16th June 2022 05:56 AM | A+ A A-
A worker collapses in a manhole after inhaling poisonous gases at Vaikuntapuram in Tirupati. (Photo| Madhav K, EPS)
TIRUPATI: One worker died and two others fell unconscious after they inhaled a toxic gas in a manhole at Vaikuntapuram in Tirupati on Wednesday. The condition of the two men - identified as Lakshman and Mahesh - is critical.
They are currently being treated at the SVIMS and SVR Ruia hospitals, respectively. The deceased, identified as A Arumugam (32), was a resident of Puttur mandal. He was a driver of Tirupati Municipal Corporation and operated sewage cleaning vehicles.
Civic officials said that Mahesh, a sewage cleaner, entered into a newly constructed manhole to remove gunny bags that were placed to prevent sewage from entering into the manhole at the time of its construction. Soon after he removed them, he inhaled the gas and collapsed.
In a bid to rescue Mahesh, Armugam jumped into the manhole and fell unconscious as he inhaled the gas. A bystander, Lakshman, went next to help the two workers, but collapsed too. Fire services personnel and locals pulled them out of the manhole and shifted them to a hospital. Armugam died while undergoing treatment.
A senior MCT official told The New Indian Express that three workers were asked to clean the manhole on the Vaikuntapuram arch road using a sewage machine. As the mouth of the manhole couldn’t be opened due to air pressure, the two workers tried to clear the blockage channel at a newly constructed manhole on the same line in a bid to release the pressure.
Stating that MCT has distributed safety gear kits to all its workers and also conducted training sessions on how to use the kits when they go inside manholes to clean them, the official claimed that many workers do not wear them at work as they feel the gear,which includes gloves and boots, causes inconvenience.
“The work started around 11:30 am, and the incident happened 30 minutes later. In less than 30 minutes, the police and fire safety personnel rushed to the spot and shifted the three individuals to the hospital. The workers were not wearing any protective gear when they went inside the manhole,” an eyewitness, Malleswari, told The New Indian Express.
A law banning manual scavenging in India was passed in 1993, preventing an individual or a local body from employing a person to clean human excreta from insanitary latrines, open drains and any other such spaces.
The civic body has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased and ordered officials concerned to bear the total treatment cost of the two individuals.Following the incident, MCT Commissioner Anupama Anjali suspended an assistant engineer, Suresh, and a ward secretariat amenities secretary, Daya. The commissioner also ordered a detailed probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, a show-cause notice has been issued to the head of the engineering department and superintendent engineer T Mohan, directing him to submit a report on the incident within 24 hours. The civic body chief further appointed additional commissioner Sunitha as the investigation officer and directed her to conduct a detailed probe into the incident.
She further asserted that an elaborate discussion will be taken up during the council meeting for procuring machinery for executing sewage works. The MR Palle police have registered a case under CrPC Section 174, based on a complaint lodged by the deceased's elder sister.
Disclaimer : We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. All the comments will be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. Try to avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines.
The views expressed in comments published on newindianexpress.com are those of the comment writers alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of newindianexpress.com or its staff, nor do they represent the views or opinions of The New Indian Express Group, or any entity of, or affiliated with, The New Indian Express Group. newindianexpress.com reserves the right to take any or all comments down at any time.
WhatsApp bans over 19 lakh Indian accounts in May
Manipur landslide: NDRF says 17 bodies recovered, rescue ops on
India vs England 5th Test: Visitors reach 53/2 as rain stops play before lunch on Day 1
Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde government to face floor test on July 4
Delhi HC seeks police stand on Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair's plea against police remand
PM speaks with Putin; reiterates India's position on Ukraine, favouring dialogue, diplomacy
The Morning Standard | Dinamani | Kannada Prabha | Samakalika Malayalam | Indulgexpress | Edex Live | Cinema Express | Event Xpress
Contact Us | About Us | Careers | Privacy Policy | Search | Terms of Use | Advertise With Us
Home | Nation | World | Cities | Business | Columns | Entertainment | Sport | Magazine | The Sunday Standard