Manual cleaning of sewers only under official supervision: Govt

The Delhi Jal Board on Tuesday decided that any sewage cleaning exercise, where using machinery is not possible, will be done under the supervision of a senior official.

This decision was taken during a meeting of the water utility, chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, to discuss the recent deaths during cleaning of sewers in the Capital.

“We can’t afford a single sewage death in Delhi. Proper plan, well-equipped workers and dress as well preventive mechanism will be there. We have also planned to buy more machines for cleaning sewers. However, in places where machines could not be used because of space constraints, trained and experienced board will do the job under the supervision of a senior official,” Delhi water minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who was also present along with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at the meeting, said.

The move comes in the wake of the death of 10 sanitation workers in five weeks during cleaning of the sewers. The latest incident was reported from Lok Nayak hospital on Sunday.

On Monday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal ordered full mechanisation of cleaning of sewers and drains in the Capital. Baijal also directed the Delhi Jal Board CEO and other departments, including the municipal bodies to launch a campaign to highlight the harmful impact of manual scavenging and the fact that forcing workers to clean sewer manually is illegal.