NHRC notice to Haryana government, DGP

New Delhi : The NHRC has sent notices to the Haryana government and the state’s police chief over reports that two brothers died allegedly after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a septic tank at a private packaging factory in Sonipat district.

The “negligence” of the factory owner and the local authorities is apparent, as reportedly, the workers were “not provided any safety gear” while cleaning the septic tank, the National Human Rights Commission said in a statement.

The NHRC has taken “suo motu cognisance of a media report, carried on June 13, 2024, that two brothers died after inhaling poisonous gas while cleaning a septic tank at a private packaging factory near the village Bazidpur Saboli in the district Sonipat, Haryana”.

Their third companion from the same village has reportedly survived the accident, it said. The police authorities have sent the bodies of the deceased for post-mortem examination and an FIR has been registered against the factory owner, the statement said.

The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights. “The negligence of the factory owner and the local authorities is apparent, as reportedly, the workers were not provided any safety gear while cleaning the septic tank. “This even though the Commission has been reiterating the implementation of its advisory dated 24.9.2021 and guidelines of the apex court to end manual hazardous cleaning by using machines and providing safety equipment to the workers,” the statement said.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Haryana, seeking a detailed report in one week including the status of the FIR registered, action taken against persons responsible as well as relief and rehabilitation provided to the next of kin of the deceased workers by the authorities, it said.

Issuing the notices, the Commission has drawn the attention of the authorities concerned in its advisory on the Protection of Human Rights of the Person Engaged in Manual Scavenging or Hazardous Cleaning. It is mentioned that in case of the death of any sanitary worker, while undertaking hazardous cleaning work, the local authority and the contractor or employer are to be held responsible and accountable, jointly and severally, irrespective of the type of hiring/engagement of the sanitary worker, the statement said. “Apart from this, the decision is given by the Supreme Court, Dr. Balram Singh vs Union of India (WP(C) No. 324 of 2020) dated 20.10.2023, provides the specific mandate that it is the duty of the local authorities and other agencies to use modern technology to clean sewers,” it added.