Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi: 24th April 2026

NHRC, India takes suo motu cognizance of the reported death of two sanitation workers and injuries to another after inhaling poisonous gases while cleaning a sewer line at Ambedkar Chowk of the Firozpur Jhirka area in the Nuh district, Haryana

Expresses concern over recurrence of such incidents despite the Supreme Court guidelines and NHRC Advisory emphasising the mechanised cleaning of sewer lines with safety gear for sanitation workers

Issues notices to the Nuh Municipal Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks

The report expected to include the status of the investigation, health of the injured and compensation to him as well as the NoK of the deceased

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that two sanitation workers died and another was injured after inhaling poisonous gases while cleaning a sewer line at the Ambedkar Chowk of Firozpur Jhirka area in the Nuh district of Haryana on 15th April 2026. Reportedly, the contractor engaged by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of the state government had deployed three workers for cleaning the sewer line without any safety gear.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations of the victims. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Nuh Municipal Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The report is expected to include the status of the investigation, health of the injured and compensation to him as well as the next of kin (NoK) of the deceased workers.

Issuing the notices, the Commission has also noted that in spite of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and its specific Advisory emphasising the mechanised cleaning of sewer lines/ manholes with safety gear for the sanitation workers, such incidents are occurring frequently across the country.

According to the media report, carried on 16th April 2026, one of the three workers first entered the sewer line and fainted. The others also fainted when they entered the sewer to help him. They were pulled out and taken to the hospital, where two of them were declared dead by the doctors.

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