2 workers die while cleaning sewer at construction site: Delhi Police

Two workers died while another fell unconscious allegedly after they inhaled toxic gases while cleaning a sewer line at a construction site at Pillanji Village in south Delhi on Tuesday, police said on Wednesday.
Police said the incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when two workers were cleaning garbage from inside the sewer line at a construction site of NBCC, a public sector undertaking company.
NBCC, however, denied that the deaths took place at its site.
DCP (southwest) Surendra Chaudhary said, “It was at the NBCC construction site at the Pillanji Village. We found that two workers were removing garbage from the sewer which was not in use and fell unconscious. To rescue them, another worker went inside but got stuck.”
The deceased were identified as Babundra Singh, 29, and Ramasre Lal, 41, while Shrinath Soren, 28 is currently undergoing treatment. It was Singh and Soren who first went inside the sewer line. Lal was working near them and went to rescue them but all three collapsed due to the gases inside.
The incident also led to protest by construction workers against authorities who alleged that they were not provided safety gear.
Police said they received a call informing them that a building collapsed at Pillanji Village and that three workers were trapped. When a team rushed to the spot, it found there was no building collapse but labourers were trapped in a sewer line. The three were later pulled out by other workers, the DCP said, adding that they were hospitalised, but later died.
The DCP said a case was registered against unknown persons under BNS sections 106 (1), 125 and 125 (a) in this connection, and police have begun investigation.
Anurag Saxena, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, said, “We found that two workers died because they were made to clean a sewer without safety gear… Others workers have gone on strike against the construction company. Most of these were contractual labourers.”
Singh’s brother, Harkesh Kumar, claimed that the site manager did not pay heed to his complaints. “They were made to clean the sewer tank but died due to poisonous gasses. My brother worked for a private construction company and was deployed at the NBCC construction site. He was working there for four years in the safety department.” Singh is survived by his pregnant wife and their one year old daughter.
NBCC said that the incident took place at a labour colony situated across the road from its project site. “We want to clarify that the casualties did not happen at NBCC’s project site. The unfortunate incident took place at a labour colony which is situated across the road from the NBCCs project site. This location is outside the limits of work site and is used by the labours of private contractor,” an NBCC spokesperson said.