Cong holds govt, MCD responsible for sewer deaths

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 22

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) accused the AAP government and the BJP-ruled MCDs of gross neglect for the sewer deaths, as after the first such death was reported on March 4, nine more manhole deaths have happened since then.

Chief spokesperson for the DPCC Sarmishtha Mukherjee said neither the AAP government nor the BJP-ruled MCDs had taken effective steps to prevent such deaths, which could have been easily avoided if proper precautionary measures had been taken.

Sharmistha demanded that each family of those who died while doing manual cleaning of the sewers be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore each.

Addressing a press conference, she said when the UPA government was in power at the Centre, Parliament had passed an act banning manual scavenging. The Delhi Government had issued a circular on October 10, 2013, putting a blanket ban on manual cleaning of sewers after a gazette notification on April 12, 2013, regarding ban on manual sewer cleaning in the city.

She criticised the highly irresponsible statement by Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam that the government would put out hoardings regarding manhole deaths. 

She wanted to know what purpose the hoardings would serve, after the Delhi Government had failed to ensure proper safety measures for those who do manual cleaning of sewers.