Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Labourers Union has sought action against the contractors and officials for the death of contract worker Nelson. The 26-year-old worker was asphyxiated while cleaning a sewer line at Madhavaram on Tuesday.
The CMWSSB had on Tuesday announced a solatium of ₹15 lakh to the victim’s family. According to a press release, Nelson fell into the maintenance hole while checking for blocks in the sewer line. His colleague Ravi, 35, too has been admitted to Government Stanley Hospital in a critical condition. The workers were using jetrodding and super sucker machines for the cleaning operation at Muthumariamman Koil Street in Madhavaram.
G. Beem Rao, president, CMWSSB Labourers Union (affiliated to CITU) and former Maduravoyal MLA said the government must increase the solatium to ₹25 lakh. A monitoring committee must be formed to check on the operation and maintenance of the sewer network.
Underlining the provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Mr. Rao said alternate livelihood must be provided to sewer workers and only machinery must be used for the maintenance of the sewer network.
Guidelines must be framed to fix responsibility on the officials to prevent such deaths. The Union also wanted the sewer workers engaged on contract basis to be absorbed as direct employees of the Metrowater.
