Ludhiana sewerman inhales poisonous gas, hospitalised

LUDHIANA: A contractual sewerman fell unconscious after inhaling poisonous gas while he was cleaning the sewer lines in EWS Colony of ward number 17 on Friday evening. The sewerman was rushed to a private hospital where his condition is said to be stable.

As per information, the sewerman, Sagar, had entered the manhole in EWS Colony for cleaning the lines without any safety kit. After entering the manhole, he fell unconscious and was pulled out by co-workers.

Area councillor Balwinder Singh Shanky slammed the civic body for its failure in protecting the sewermen. “Repeated requests have been made to the MC for providing safety kits to the men who enter manholes. The officials had earlier claimed that jetting machines had been made available but the practice of manual scavenging is still going on, that too without precautions. I will take up the matter with the mayor.”

Mayor Balkar Sandhu said, “Jetting machines have been provided for cleaning sewer lines and strict directions have been issued to stop manual scavenging. I have not yet received any information regarding the same, but action will be taken against whoever is found to be guilty.”

PAST INCIDENTS

In June 2019, a 45-year-old Azhar Ali died while working in a sewer line at Noorwala Road.

On April 11 the same year, a 27-year-old fell unconscious after being allegedly forced to clean a sewer line in Shimlapuri.

On December 12, 2018, a contractual MC sewerman, Pradeep, 24, fell unconscious after he inhaled poisonous gas while cleaning the lines in ward number 3. On September 9 that year, a contractual MC sewerman fell unconscious after inhaling poisonous gas in New Subhash Nagar.

On August 10, a contractual sewerman sustained burn injuries after hot water was released in the sewer lines by an industrial unit