Centre orders probe into sewer deaths in Jhotwara

Jaipur: The Union ministry of social justice and empowerment has directed the Jaipur district collectorate to investigate the deaths of two workers who died while cleaning sewers in the Jhotwara zone of Jaipur Municipal Corporation on April 17.

In a letter issued Tuesday, the ministry cited a TOI report published on April 18 and invoked the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. It said hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks is prohibited under Section 7 of the law, and violations are punishable under Section 9.

The ministry said Section 3 allows manual sewer cleaning only in rare exceptions, and only after the chief executive officer of the local authority records specific valid reasons in writing and grants permission.

“The district collector has been asked to investigate the incident, ensure strict compliance with the law, and initiate action against those responsible for engaging workers in hazardous sewer cleaning in violation of the Act. We have already started the proceedings,” an official from the district collectorate said.

The ministry also referred to Supreme Court orders raising compensation for sewer deaths from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

JMC officials said the local self govt department will provide Rs 30 lakh each as compensation to both families. They said each family has also received Rs 10 lakh from the contractor firm, Rs 10 lakh from JMC, and Rs 5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
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