Sewer Asphyxiation Deaths; NHRC Issues Notice to Odisha Chief Secy

Bhubaneswar: A show-cause notice was issued to Odisha Chief Secretary by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday in connection with the asphyxiation death of two labourers in a sewage tank in Cuttack in April 2021. The chief secretary was directed to reply to the show cause notice in a period of four weeks.

The NHRC issued the notice while hearing a petition filed by human rights activist Akhand. In its report to the NHRC, the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack police commissioner had informed that P. Shankar and Bishnu Naik lost their lives while one D. Shiva was under treatment in this incident.

This incident occurred on April 15, 2021 during the cleaning of an underground sewer network in the CDA Sector-10 area of Cuttack. The workers had not been provided with prescribed protection measures. “During the departmental inquiry, it came to the light that Pradyut Kumar Sahu, junior engineer, PHD (public health department) and Deepak Kumar Naik, director are responsible for this unfortunate incident,” the Commission said.

The NHRC has asked the chief secretary as to why the compensation of Rs 10 lakh not be recommended to be paid to the next of kin of the deceased and to specify whether any compensation has been paid to the injured person for the negligence on the part of the government employees and nature of injury sustained by the injured.