Sewer man suffers minor burns as unit releases hot water

Harshraj Singh

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 10

After entering into a manhole to clean a choked sewer line, a 25-year-old sewer man of the Municipal Corporation suffered minor burn injuries when a washing unit allegedly released hot water into the sewer at street number 8 of Guru Nanak Nagar near Jodhewal Basti, here.

The injured sewer man has been identified as Vajinder, who works on a contractual basis. He entered the manhole without wearing any safety gear and came in contact with the hot water. When he started screaming, another employee helped him in coming out of the manhole, according to information.

After complaining about ‘burns’ and ‘irritation’ on the skin and eyes due to hot water, the sewer man was admitted to the Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital. MC officials claimed that the condition of sewer man is fine now.

According to Vajinder, he, along with other employees, had gone to clear the choked sewer line at Guru Nanak Nagar around 6 am on Friday. When he entered the manhole, hot water came all of a sudden in the sewer line, said an official.

MC Sub-Divisional Officer Ekjot Singh said a washing unit, Zip India, which deals in woollen articles, released hot water from boilers on Sunday morning.

“As per norms, nobody is allowed to release hot water into MC sewer lines. We are going to serve a notice on the firm. The sewer man is under treatment at the Civic Hospital. Doctors are examining him and his condition is fine now,” Ekjot said.

Ashwani Sharma, councillor from Ward No. 86, said: “There are some washing-cum-dyeing units in the area and they have installed boilers. These units often release chemicals into the MC sewer lines, due to which gases emanate inside sewer chambers. Sometimes, these gases flow via sewer pipes and reach the toilets of the nearby houses. The civic body should shift such units out of the residential areas as residents are suffering a lot. One of these units released hot water on Saturday morning due to which a sewer man suffered injuries.”

Sewer men avoid wearing safety kits: MC official

The MC authorities claimed to have safety kits for sewer men. However, sewer men generally enter manholes without wearing safety kits. An MC official said sewer men themselves avoid wearing safety kits while cleaning sewer lines. They complain that they can’t work by wearing safety kits, he said.

“Choked sewers are a major problem in some areas. The government should arrange required number of super suction machines for cleaning sewer lines. If we have these machines, there is no need for any sewer man to enter the manhole,” the official said.

Subhash Desawer, state convener of the Safai Karamchari Andolan, said: “According to my knowledge, 16 men have died due to asphyxiation while cleaning sewers inside manholes. They had no safety kits. The Supreme Court has banned manual scavenging, but the practice is common here as the civic body failed to the follow the court orders. The Municipal Corporation is responsible as sewer men are forced to enter manholes without any safety gear. Today’s incident could have been avoided if the requisite measures were taken.”

MC Commissioner Kanwalpreet Brar said: “I would look into the matter.”