The deaths of two labourers inside a septic tank has yet again raised issues of safety which brings to mind the deaths of four other workers in similar settings in January 2014. But two years after the unfortunate incident, nothing has changed as asphyxiation during septic tank cleaning still remains a major issue.
The two labourers died of suffocation after they went in to clean a septic tank of a hotel at Bogmalo. Fire services received a call well over five hours later after the workers entered the tank at around 5 pm and did not come out of the pit till 10 pm.
Back in January 2014, four workers had died under similar situations in Santa Cruz. Four hotel workers had lost their lives after they went in to clean a sewage treatment plant at the Shell Top Inn at Santa Cruz.
The Old Goa police had filed a case against two persons who were later arrested. The case in 2014 had occurred around noon when the four workers employed by the hotel were cleaning the sewage treatment plant (STP) when one of the workers fainted inside the STP.
Soon after the incident, the Supreme Court had directed all states to abolish manual scavenging and take steps for rehabilitation of workers involved in removing night soil with their bare hands.
The court had issued a series of directions to all the states for implementing the law and for rehabilitating them. For sewer deaths, entering sewer lines without safety gears should be made a crime even in emergency situations. For each such death, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh should be given to the family of the deceased were some of the directions given.
But it is evident from the recent events in the state that neither rules, nor care is taken in implementing safety guidelines by hotels and services.
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2014: SUPREME COURT GUIDELINES
* Abolish manual scavenging and rehabilitate such workers
* Prevent future generations from the inhuman practice
* Make entering sewer lines without safety gears a crime
* For each such death, pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh
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Vasco cops seek SC order
on manual scavenging
THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO: Vasco police is reportedly seeking details on a Supreme Court order banning the deployment of human beings as manual scavengers, to make a strong case against the hotel staff and contractor in connection with the deaths of two labourers inside a septic tank.
According to Vasco Police, the contractor Sunil Singh had employed Gajanan Patil (27) from Baina and Vishal Pius Noronha (33) of Mangalore, but staying near Safi Masjid Baina, to clean the septic tank of the hotel on Thursday at about 8 pm.
Police said as one of the two labourers who had entered the septic tank failed to come out, the other one entered and when both of them failed to come out at about 10 pm, the hotel staff called the fire services, who fished out both the bodies.
Police have recorded the statement of the general manager and were in the process of interrogating the hotel engineer.
The police said the body of Patil was handed over to his family for final rites after conducting the autopsy, while Noronha's body was preserved at GMC morgue for autopsy, as his family members are yet to reach the State. Police is investigating the case.
