Manhole death: Rs 3L to victim’s kin

NEW DELHI: On the direction of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Delhi government has granted a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the family of a man who lost his life after falling in a manhole.
A case of negligence has been registered against the junior engineer, North Shahdara zone, East Delhi Municipal Corporation, and he has been arrested in the connection.
Radha Kant Tripathy, a relative of the deceased, had approached the Commission alleging that Devender Kumar Prasad, who fell into a manhole in March 2010, died due to the negligence of the corporation. “He was the sole earner of his family. The civic body neither provided compensation to the next of kin, nor took action against the erring corporation official. “We sought the intervention of the Commission so that families of victims get justice,” said Tripathy.
Seeking a compliance report along with the proof of payment from the Delhi government, the Commission directed the latter to take necessary steps so that such incidents can be prevented in future. The manhole must be covered with lids, the Commission said.
While construction work is going on, the danger mark at the site should be prominently displayed for the public.