Nagpur: In a grave violation of Supreme Court directives and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Rehabilitation Act, 2013, two manual scavengers died of suffocation while cleaning a hazardous sewage chamber at MIDC Butibori on Saturday. Prashant Manuje and Rahul Madavi succumbed to toxic fumes, while a third worker, Suresh Patekar, remains critical in hospital.
Incident Details
According to police, the three contractual workers entered the choked sewage pipeline chamber in front of Plot K-3 on the orders of their contractor, Gaurav Puri, without any safety equipment, gas masks, or oxygen support. After they collapsed inside, police and rescue teams broke open the chamber and extricated them. Manuje and Madavi were declared dead on arrival at the hospital, while doctors described Patekar's condition as critical.
Legal Action
A case has been registered at MIDC Butibori police station against contractor Gaurav Puri under Section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and various provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act. Additional SP Anil Mhaske told TOI that the contractor forced the workers into the dangerous confined space without protective gear, in clear violation of safety norms. Senior officials from MIDC and the labour department visited the spot and launched a parallel inquiry into the safety lapses.
Ongoing Issue of Manual Scavenging
This tragedy highlights the alarming continuation of manual scavenging in Nagpur and adjoining industrial areas. Recently, TOI reported how sewer and drain cleaning continues manually across the city despite mechanisation claims by civic authorities. Earlier reports revealed that nearly 65% of Nagpur's nullah cleaning operations depend on manual labour.
Another civic disclosure indicated that around 546 sanitary workers are routinely engaged in manually de-choking sewer lines and drains across Nagpur, despite legal prohibitions. These disclosures raise serious concerns over continued human entry into toxic sewer chambers without adequate safety mechanisms.
A previous TOI report had exposed how sanitation workers were being sent into manholes without oxygen cylinders, gas detectors, or proper safety equipment, blatantly violating apex court directives.
