Open House: What steps should be taken to prevent deaths due to asphyxiation in sewage pits?

The practice of manual scavenging, cleaning of sewers, septic tanks, drains and manholes should be finally stopped. It is strictly prohibited. Employers putting the lives of the labourers to risk should be punished severely.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Start courses to train workers

The government should start technical courses in this trade as untrained workers are doing this job and risking their lives. Workers must be provided with protective gear and other latest safety kit. They should get mandatory life insurance cover from the management side in case of any mishap.

Kirpal Singh

Govt must conduct regular safety audits

All ‘responsible’ companies have an environmental health and safety (EHS) officer who is well trained in ensuring safe and healthy environment both for the workers and the environment at large. Regular safety audit by the government is needed to ensure safety is not compromised in any industry. Impose heavy penalty on the erring industries, otherwise helpless workers will continue to lose lives in unsafe work environment.

Sapna Sharda, Chandigarh

Make the job safe for workers

Even as several workers have died due to asphyxiation while doing manual scavenging, the authorities concerned are yet to change the unsafe way in which pits are cleaned. Plants, factories and other business establishments, as well as the MC, having a budget of crores cannot afford to have monkey belts and oxygen cylinders for workers entering pits for cleaning work. Casual workers lose their lives and their kin are provided little compensation, ruining their lives as well. The departments concerned must check availability of kits, training of workers and standard procedure for such jobs.

Wg Cdr (Dr) JS Minhas (retd), Mohali

Enforce law banning manual scavenging

Although law prohibits manual scavenging in India, its enforcement has been lacking in most states. Violation invites imprisonment up to five years and fine up to Rs 5 lakh. Fortunately, technology exists to eliminate the need for manual cleaning of pits. Sewer rodding and jetting machines may be operated by trained workers. Using these machines will end manual scavenging and bring in a safer and more humane work environment.

Chetan Verma, Mohali

What are labour inspectors doing

It is ironical that the life of a poor worker is considered cheap even after 75 years of independence. The labour laws are apparently not implemented, raising questions on the integrity of labour inspectors. The government must monitor and regulate projects involving cleaning of sewers. Further, such workers must be provided with masks, oxygen cylinders and other scientifically proven safety gadgets. Contractors and builders should be held responsible for any violation.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

Regularly check safety measures

Stringent and surprise check of safety measures at factories and industries by a government team on quarterly basis is the need of the hour. After deposit of operations fee to government, an official holding senior post must visit the premises of industrial units to ensure adherence to norms of labour laws. Free-of-cost safety gear shall be provided to the workers by the owners of industrial units.

Nikhil Batta, Chandigarh

Workers’ lives no cheap, value them

Employers should understand the value of people who work for them. Labourers do hard work on low wages, but their lives are precious. Factory owners must follow labour laws in letter and spirit and provide all facilities to labourers timely. The Labour Department must inspect industrial units for workers’ safety. Any violation should lead to cancellation of the registration of the unit.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Don’t undertake job sans protective gear

Workers doing such hazardous jobs must be provided with safety gear at all cost. They should not go into pits for cleaning work if not provided with safety gear. Many a times, such workers are sole breadwinner and in case of any untoward incident, their families are ruined. These poor workers are already paid meagre wages. The erring employers often settle the matter by paying peanuts to the bereaved family. The government should strictly enforce labour laws and insure lives those doing risky jobs.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Labour officials responsible too

While employers must be held responsible for not ensuring the deceased workers had put on protective gear before entering the pit, labour officials who did not inspect the plant regularly can’t escape the blame either. Five lives have been lost to employers’ as well as labour officials’ apathy. They must be brought to book so as to act as deterrent. There is a need to frame stringent rules and ensure its implementation.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Govt should ensure workers’ safety

Labour has to work in inhumane conditions in industrial units. It is the duty of the government to ensure they are provided safety measures while doing risky works. Employers should provide them with proper safety kits, space to move around and life insurance.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Get rid of manual scavenging

Manual scavenging is inhuman and it has been declared illegal by the law of land as well. For some, it is the most nauseating thing to do, while for others it’s the only way to make a living. Hundreds of manual scavengers die by inhaling toxic gases every year. They are amongst the most vulnerable category of sanitation workers. The governments and private industrial organisations should ensure provisioning of mechanised scavenging systems.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Better use technical devices, equipment

Such incidents always leave painful memories. Who can forget Bhopal gas tragedy of December 1984? Labour laws are clear in their definitions but the issue is with the lack of their implementation by vested interests — industrialists and authorities. Manual cleaning of sewage pits, channels and drains beyond specified sizes is prohibited. It is inhumane to put the lives of poor people at risk. Such activities should be allowed only with technology-driven tools and equipment like gully suckers, vacuum pumps, etc.

Vijay Shukla, Chandigarh

Workers must take safety measures

Safety of workers who clean sewage pits should be one of the topmost priorities of their employers. Also, the workers should be trained to recognise the hazards in sewage pits and they should accordingly take protective measures themselves. Emergency equipment should also be made available at the worksite and extra persons should be deployed outside to tackle any untoward incident and call the ambulance immediately.

Savita Kuthiala

Fix minimum wages for sewer cleaners

Several incidents of death due to asphyxiation are reported from the country. Although there are many schemes on paper to uplift Dalits, they do the dirtiest and dangerous works. The governments should fix minimum wages for those who clean sewage pits and sewer lines. They should be insured. Immediate financial help should be provided to the next of kin of workers dying while doing the job.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Make Use of drones to assess situation

Industrial units must provide safety gear and equipment, including respirators, masks and gloves, to employees working in hazardous environment. The use of modern technology as drones can be explored to assess situation and clean sewage pits. Educate workers about the risks involved in the job. Hefty penalties must be imposed on industrial units which fail to comply with the safety regulations and put their workers’ lives at risk.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

Prosecute owners for culpable homicide

In utter violation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, the management of the meat plant at Dera Bassi resorted to getting septic tank manually cleaned without specified protection gear and oxygen, resulting in the death of four workers. The owner/management responsible for violation and horrendous incidence should be prosecuted for culpable homicide and made to pay compensation to bereaved families.

SS Arora, Mohali

Wake-up call for officials, employers

The incident at the Dera Bassi meat plant was unfortunate and a wake-up call for authorities and plant owners alike. Officials must make a schedule for checking factories with hazardous nature of work. The owners of such factories should maintain high standards of safety. Strict standard operating procedures be framed and their implementation ensured. “Lives Matter” should be the buzzword. Proper training should be arranged for workers.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Train workers, give them safety kits

People are aware of hygiene and maintenance, but unaware of the plight of those who facilitate clean drainage and sewerage systems. They are not provided with protective kits. They are not even trained. The authorities concerned should equip them with protective clothing, masks, gumboots, gloves and oxygen cylinders with harness belts. When proper training meets right safety equipment, risk to life and health can be curtailed. In developed countries, machines are used to clean sewers. If funds permit, machines or robotics should be used for cleaning sewers.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Prevention always better than cure

News of five persons dying due to asphyxiation in two incidents at Dera Bassi and Lalru was heart-wrenching. Labour laws were surely not enforced strictly in both cases. To prevent such incidents, the administration must have a proper audit team which could religiously check conditions in which sanitation staff work and workers should be properly trained for the job and well-equipped with safety gear. Precaution is always better than cure.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Ensure such incidents are not repeated

It is incomprehensible why the authorities concerned show lackadaisical approach when it comes to enforcing labour laws. Five precious lives have been lost due to their as well as employers’ negligence. However, one can prepare for future so that such avoidable tragedies don’t take place. Workers must be provided proper safety gear free of cost. The world we live in runs on technology. We must employ sewer and drain-cleaning machines in place of precarious manual scavenging.

Manseerat Kaur, Chandigarh

Create forum to hear out workers

The tricity must jointly act for the safety of labour. All labourers must be registered by the tricity administrations and each industrial unit and company must provide the record of its all labourers. These lists should be regularly updated. Each industrial unit must be checked for violation of any labour safety guideline. A forum must be created where labourers could flag the issue of their safety being compromised without the fear of losing job. Their identities should be kept secret.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

QUESTION

The city’s legacy furniture continues to get auctioned for huge sums overseas. There is no end to pilferage of the invaluable heritage furniture from Chandigarh. What steps should the UT take to stop the smuggling of heritage items from the city?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com