NHRC seeks report on death, injuries of sanitation workers in Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that one worker died and three others were critically injured while cleaning a sewer in the Ashok Vihar area of Delhi.

According to the press report, co-workers of the victims alleged that no safety equipment was provided by the private construction company that had engaged them for the task.

The Police Control Room reportedly received a late-night call about the incident, and all four workers were rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital, where doctors declared one of them dead. The other three were admitted to the ICU in critical condition.

The manager of the company is being questioned.

Taking note of the incident, the apex human rights body observed that the contents, if true, raise serious concerns of human rights violations.

Despite Supreme Court directions and NHRC advisories issued to all states and Union Territories to ensure the safety of sanitation workers, such tragic incidents continue to occur frequently.

The NHRC has issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, and the Delhi Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The report is expected to include the status of the investigation, the health condition of the injured workers, and details of compensation provided to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured workers

Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights. Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in international covenants and enforceable by courts in India. The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.

--IANS

pds/vd