A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and sought response on the issue.
Taking a suo motu cognizance of the two deaths reported from the Mundka area of Outer Delhi last week during the cleaning of a drain, the Delhi High Court, on Monday, issued notice to the concerned departments.
A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and sought response on the issue.
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“Let a PIL be registered in the matter. Notice to be issued to MCD, GNCTD and Delhi Jal Board,” the court ordered.
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“There is a Supreme Court judgment on the subject, which says that the moment the death takes place of a person, who is manually doing this scavenging work, the family is entitled to certain assistance plus a job to one of the members of the family,” Chief Justice Sharma added.
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Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao was appointed as amicus curiae in the matter to assist the court.
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According to media reports, two persons namely Rohil Chandiliya (32) and Ashok Kumar (30) died while trying to clear the blockage of sewer line through manhole on September 9, in a DDA Flats society located in the area of Mundka.
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During inquiry, it came to the fore that Rohit, a private sweeper of the society, went inside a manhole to clear the blockage of a sewer line, but he turned unconscious, after inhaling toxic gases inside. Upon this, the security guard of the society, Ashok Kumar, immediately went into the pit in a bid to save Rohit. However, he too felt dizzy and got trapped inside, after getting affected by toxic fumes.
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Later, after an hour-long rescue operation, both of them were pulled out from the drain and rushed to a nearby hospital, where both of them were declared dead.
The matter would be heard next on September 21.
Source: The Statesman
