New Delhi, October 6
The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to pay Rs 10 lakh each as compensation “forthwith” to the families of two men who died after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a blocked sewer in a residential society in Mundka area of outer Delhi’s last month.
Sorry state of affairs
It is unfortunate that even after 75 years of Independence, poor people are forced to work as manual scavengers and the laws on the issue are not being followed. Delhi HC
“It is unfortunate that even after 75 years of Independence, poor people are forced to work as manual scavengers and the laws on the issue are not being followed,” said a Bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, which had on September 12 taken suo motu cogniSance of news reports of the incident
“The decision shall be communicated to the court in 30 days. It is made clear that if the order is not complied with, the vice chairman of DDA shall remain present in court on the next date of hearing,” it said, posting the matter for further hearing on November 14.
A sweeper and a security guard died on September 9 in Outer Delhi’s Mundka area after they inhaled toxic gases inside a sewer. When the sweeper went down to clean the sewer, he fainted and the guard followed to rescue him and he also fell unconscious, the police said.
The DDA counsel told the court the deceased were cleaning the drain in the absence of any instructions from them and a committee has been formed in relation to the incident. Not a single DDA official asked the deceased to clean the sewer and the work was outsourced, the court
was told. With PTI inputs
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