Police link deaths to manual scavenging

By R Prince Jebakumar/ C Shivakumar

Chennai:

After Supreme Court banned manual scavenging, death of the Metro Water engineer and a contract worker while clearing a clogged sewer connection at Marianayagam Road at Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar near Perambur Paper Mills sparked a controversy with police sources linking the deaths to manual scavenging and Metro Water denying it.

Interestingly, the death of the two employees also comes in the wake of Supreme Court pulling up the Centre recently for its callousness in not enacting a law to ban manual scavenging despite giving repeated assurances that it would soon amend the relevant Act. It is believed that more than 15 workers had died in septic tanks and manholes in Tamil Nadu in the last 18 months.

Police sources told Express that said the entire stretch of Marianayagam Road at Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar was clogged. The attempt to clear the clog with vehicles failed on Tuesday and subsequently three holes had been cleared manually. The tragedy struck when junior engineer Venkatramanan along with temporary contract worker Shankar, field worker Kumar and timekeeper Ravi Das went to clear the fourth manhole.

Police said when Shankar got into the hole manually to assess the blockage, he was engulfed by poisonous fumes and cried for help. Hearing his cries, joint engineer Venkatraman, who was supervising the work, rushed to rescue him after stripping his clothes, police sources said.

However, his valiant effort proved futile and cost him his life dearly as both of them drowned. “It took nearly two hours for the fire service department to retrieve the bodies as they had to clear the toxic fumes from the manhole. The incident was reported at around 2 to 2.30 am and the body was recovered at 4.30 am,” Police Assistant Commissioner R Vijayraghavan told Express.

Interestingly, Venkataramanan had already been transferred to Kodambakkam area office of Metro Water but was not relieved from Zone 6 of Division 68 in Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar.

The death also sparked anger and tension at the hospital premises with Metro Water engineers who gathered to pay tributes to junior engineer Venkatramanan alleged lack of men and materials.