Worker dies cleaning sewer in New Friends Colony, 2 injured; DJB denies men were its staff

According to police, they received a PCR call reporting the incident. On reaching the scene, the investigating officer found that the victims had already been rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre by emergency responders from the Delhi Fire Services.

At AIIMS, it was confirmed that Panth Lal Chander, 43, a resident of JJ Camp in Sriniwaspuri, had died. His brother, Ramkishan, was found unconscious and is under critical care. The third worker, Shiv Das, is stable and is providing his statement to the authorities, said police.

Police said preliminary investigation indicates that the workers were inside the manhole, carrying out maintenance, when they lost consciousness likely due to toxic fumes or lack of oxygen.

A crime team inspected the site and legal proceedings have begun. A case has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 7 and 9 of the Manual Scavenging Act.

According to police, Shiv and Ramkishan had gone down the pipe to fix a leak when they began gasping for air and losing consciousness. “The men began shouting for help and Panth Lal rushed in to rescue them,” said a police source.

While Panth Lal managed to pull out his brother and Shiv, he lost consciousness while still inside the pipe. The men as well as Panth Lal’s youngest son, who was also at the scene, shouted for help following which passersby managed to pull Panth Lal out, said the source.

Panth Lal is survived by four daughters, a son, and his wife. According to Shiv’s’ statement to the police, Panth Lal’s family hailed from Chhattisgarh and he had been saving up funds for his second daughter’s marriage.

In December, The Indian Express, based on data obtained under the Right To Information (RTI) Act, reported that over the past 15 years, a total of 94 people have died while cleaning sewers in Delhi.

But in 75 of those deaths, for which records are available, only one case has led to justice for the victims in the form of a conviction in court.