On the basis of media reports claiming that two people passed away last week after allegedly breathing hazardous fumes within a sewer in the outer Delhi area, the High Court sent notices to the municipal corporation, the government of NCT Delhi, and other parties. On Monday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the Delhi government responded, and the bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL) on the subject.
A sweeper and a security guard died on Friday in outer Delhi’s Mundka neighbourhood after breathing in toxic gases inside a sewer they had descended to clean, according to media reports. The bench decided to take Suo Moto cognizance of these reports, according to the police.
The bench also set September 21, 2022 as the date for the next hearing and named senior attorney Rajshekhar Rao as the amicus curiae to support the court in the case.
A cleaner and a guard passed away last week in the Bakarwala neighbourhood of Delhi from asphyxia and toxic fumes from the sewage.
The remains of the deceased, whose names were Ashok Kumar and Rohit, were pulled out of the sewer by the fire department.
In the DDA society, Ashok served as a guard, and Rohit was tasked with maintaining the sewer system.
The police said that Rohit went inside the society when something got stuck in the sewer pipe.
Ashok walked inside to see him when he still hadn’t emerged. When Ashok and Rohit didn’t emerge for a while, the situation was reported to the police.
The doctor declared them dead when they got to the hospital after police dragged both of them out of the sewer with JCB, the fire department, and a road cutter.