NHRC notices to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the DGP over the reported death of four person while cleaning a sewage tank in a Faridabad hospital

New Delhi, 6th October, 2022

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken a suo motu cognizance of a media report that four person died after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning the sewer tank in a private hospital in Faridabad district of Haryana on 05th October, 2022.

It has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Government of Haryana calling for a detailed report within four weeks. The report is expected to include the measures that the Government of Haryana has already taken or is likely to be taken to prevent such gross violation of the human rights of poor and underprivileged people, who are susceptible to be employed for this type of manual scavenging or sewage cleaning without any mechanical device by the public/ private organizations. The authorities are also directed to inform about the status of the FIR registered in the matter and compensation, if any, given to the NOK of the deceased persons.

Issuing the notices, the Commission has observed that in spite of specific judgments given by the Apex Court and guidelines issued from time to time by different government agencies, the sewage cleaning workers are still being exposed to extreme danger and subjected to indignity.

The Commission has also issued an Advisory on the Protection of Human Rights of the person engaged in the Hazardous Cleaning of the septic tank on 24th September, 2021, which was circulated to Chief Secretaries/ Administrators of all States and UTs and the Union Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and to the Secretary, National Commission for Safai Karmacharis for taking remedial actions.

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