Contractor booked for sanitation workers’ death in Raipur hospital septic tank

Raipur: A day after three sanitation workers died allegedly from toxic gas while cleaning a septic tank at a private hospital in Raipur, police on Thursday booked the contractor for culpable homicide not amounting to murder on charges of not providing them safety gear.Amid growing outrage, National Commission for Safai Karamcharis vice-chairman Hardeep Singh Gill met the bereaved families of Prashant Kumar (32), Anmol Machkan (25), and Govind Sendre (35) on Thursday."Why was cleaning allowed at night? That needs to be investigated. If this work had to be carried out, municipal corporation should have been informed. Whoever is found responsible will face legal action," Gill said.State human rights commission has also taken suo motu cognisance of the case, seeking a detailed report within a month.Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered strict enforcement of the ban on manual scavenging.Investigation into the role of hospital management, which said the work was outsourced to a third party, is underway, an official said.