Two days after two contractual workers died and three others were hospitalised after apparently inhaling toxic gas when they were cleaning the septic tank in northwest Delhi's Rohini area, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the Delhi Government and city police commissioner seeking a detailed report within six weeks.
According to NHRC official, due to negligence by authorities, a large number of people are dying every year in such painful incidents.
"NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that two labourers, died while three others are battling for life after they entered an unauthorised 10-foot-deep septic tank at an under-construction house in Prem Nagar, Rohini, Delhi, on May 7.
"In spite of specific laws and guidelines, such incidents are happening. NHRC condemns "uncivilised" attitude of some people who gathered at the place of incident, but did not come forward to help the victims, terming them "untouchables"," said the official.
NHRC has also asked the Delhi Government to inform whether it had issued any guidelines prohibiting unauthorised construction and cleaning of septic tanks, and, if so, why its strict compliance is not being ensured.
The NHRC said, "It has directed the Delhi government to chalk out appropriate instructions to deal with the issue and inform."
The incident took place at a semi-built plot owned by Gulam Mustafa in Rohini's Bhagya Vihar area, according to police. He had started construction of a house a few days ago.
Mustafa and a mason, named Rambir, had allegedly asked the two labourers to clean the tank, but they refused as they were not trained, police had said.
The commission has observed that apparently there were multiple reasons which might have caused the death of the two persons.
"Had the septic tank not been constructed in an unauthorised manner and had the labourers been not forced to go inside the septic tank without any safety gear or prior training, two precious lives could have been saved," said the NHRC official.
