Sewer deaths: panel to oversee drain upkeep

Special committee to be set up within a week; DJB junior engineer suspended

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has suspended a Junior Engineer in connection with the deaths of three sanitation workers while cleaning a sewer in south Delhi last week. The DJB is also in the process of setting up a State-level body to oversee such maintenance operations in the future.

Last Sunday, three labourers were asphyxiated while a fourth is battling for life after reportedly inhaling poisonous gases inside a sewer in Lajpat Nagar. A senior government official said that action was taken against the DJB engineer after an interim inquiry revealed “laxity” on the official’s part.

“Water Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam also wants a special committee to be set up within a week to oversee sanitation and maintenance operations of drains ,” said the official.

He added that manual maintenance and cleaning of drains in the Capital had been restricted following orders in 2013, but as many as 15 sanitation workers were recorded to have died since.

Members in panel

The special panel will monitor sanitation operations at the district and State-levels and may have Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal or a Minister of his choosing at its helm.

“At the moment, it has been decided that the panel will include two members from the State SC/ST commission, the State sanitation workers’ commission, two SC/ST legislators and the Delhi Police Commissioner,” the official said.

Local MLAs, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate as well as four social workers may be included in the committee at the district level.

On Saturday, Mr. Gautam held a meeting with DJB and government officials at his residence over the deaths and emphasised that guidelines from the judiciary not be ignored in relation to such incidents in future.

He had also instructed lawyers to follow all rules and regulations so that there was “transparency while presenting the cases before the Courts” in addition to directing officials to meet frequently so that matters related to sanitation and maintenance of drains were updated on a regular basis.