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Commission visits site, says govt agencies’ laxity led to sewer deaths
Ghaziabad: A team from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis arrived for a site inspection in Krishna Kunj, where five workers had suffocated to death in
Ghaziabad: A team from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis arrived for a site inspection in Krishna Kunj, where five workers had suffocated to death in an under-construction sewer on Thursday.
Later, a member of the commission pulled up the officials of various Ghaziabad agencies and blamed their laxity for the deaths.
During her day-long visit to Ghaziabad, commission member Manju Diler directed the administration to lodge an FIR against the four engineers of the UP Jal Nigam as well as chief engineer BS Srivastava. Soon after the tragedy, the Uttar Pradesh government had suspended the four engineers.
The UP Jal Nigam is currently building a a sewer line in Ghaziabad and the incident took place at its site near Krishna Kunj. The construction work was assigned to a Ghaziabad-based company, which is now blacklisted by the government.
During a meeting with Jal Nigam, municipal corporation and district administration officials on Friday afternoon, Diler pointed out laxity on their part.
“The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has also been directed to take special care while allowing their staff to work in sewer lines. No worker should be allowed to enter a sewer without safety gear. Departments will have to give an approval in case any worker is tasked to go into a sewer line or network,” she said.
“In case such incidents take place in the future, the respective department head will be held directly responsible,” she said.
“We have equipment like gloves and gum boots etc besides sewer jetting machines and super sucker machines for cleanup work. We are taking up precautions,” Pramod Kumar, additional municipal commissioner, said.
Officials also gave away cheques of ₹10 lakh each to the families of two victims, Vijay Kumar and Shiv Kumar, whose families have arrived in Ghaziabad.
Two FIRs lodged so far
The Ghaziabad police has lodged two FIRs at Sihani Gate police station under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The first FIR was registered by Jitendra Yadav, the man involved in rescue operation, while the second one was given by Azmat Ali, junior engineer of UP Jal Nigam, against two site in-charge of the contractor company.
“One of the two FIRs has also mentioned the alleged laxity in supervision by officials of UP Jal Nigam. More names will be added to ongoing investigation,” Shlok Kumar, superintendent of police (city), said.
