Two die while trying to save manual scavenger

Mumbai: The driver and cleaner of a sewage suction vehicle died on Monday after they allegedly entered a manhole without any safety gear in a bid to save a worker who was tasked with cleaning the sewer line. Though the worker survived, the driver and cleaner inhaled gaseous fumes inside the manhole leading to their death, said police. The owner of the house where the incident occurred, the contractor through whom the worker was hired, and the owner of the suction vehicle have been booked for causing death by negligence and violating the ban on manual scavenging, imposed in 2013.

The deceased were identified as Chandan Jaiswal, 23, the cleaner, and Vikas Taak, 33, the driver, while the worker was identified as Nilesh Dhotre.

According to the police, Dhotre was hired by contractor Vishal Babu Manjule, 21, on Monday for cleaning the sewage manhole of Kashinath Baburao Tandel’s residence in Sonari village under Uran taluka. Manjule had also hired the sewage suction truck belonging to Amol Anant Khutle, 61.

“Dhotre fell sick shortly after entering the manhole and inhaling the nauseous gases. Jaiswal noticed his discomfort and jumped in to save him,” said inspector BT Ove from Nhava Sheva police station, where the offence was registered.

Though Jaiswal managed to pull Dhotre out, he himself began feeling suffocated, prompting the driver to jump in. The driver too managed to pull Jaiswal out but remained stuck in the manhole himself as it was very narrow. He was later rescued by fire brigade personnel who entered the manhole with safety gear. Both he and Jaiswal were declared brought dead at the hospital.

“Preliminary investigation indicates failure to provide safety gear to the worker cleaning the manhole led to the death of the other two,” said the inspector.

All three accused have been booked under section 106 (causing death by negligence) and 54 (X) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 8 and 9 of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.