The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took suo motu cognizance of the death of Om Prakash Omi, a 43-year old contractual sanitation worker, while cleaning a drain in Sector-20 of Rohini in Outer Delhi as reported in the media. The Commission issued notices to the Municipal Commissioner, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer District, Delhi.
According to the NHRC spokesperson, the Commission has asked these public authorities to submit a report in two weeks, while citing the incident as a serious issue of violation of Right to Life and Safety of the safai karamchari.
According to the media report, Om Prakash Omi, working on contract with the MCD, had died inside the drain while his associate, 34-year-old Sagar, had sustained serious injuries. Both workers were cleaning a drain in Sector 20, Rohini.
Preliminary investigation by the police had showed that both workers were exposed to poisonous gases inside the drain.
MCD officials, however, said they were neither aware of the incident, nor the NHRC notice. “Usually, officials from the concerned districts inform us if such an incident happens but so far, we have not got a report. The NHRC did not intimate us before issuing a notice, or else we could have discussed possible compensation measures,” said North Delhi Corporation Mayor Yogendra Chandolia.
According to data from the Rashtriya Safai Mazdoor Congress, the three municipal corporations in Delhi employ 60,000 sanitation workers, of whom 10,000 are contract workers.
Mr. Chandolia admitted that in case of a death or accident, the MCD had norms for compensating permanent employees but this was not the case with contractual workers. “In case of permanent employees we can offer a job to a family member on compassionate grounds but if these workers were hired on contract basis, all we can assure is a minimum wage as per Delhi Government rules, I doubt if we will be able to offer much more,” said Mr. Chandolia.
Before this, in 2013, three sanitation workers had died while cleaning a drain at Rafi Marg.
