New Delhi: The NHRC has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief over reports of three workers drowning in a tank of a sewage treatment plant of a multinational IT company in Gautam Buddh Nagar. .
Authorities "failed to be alert" or carry out adequate supervision to monitor the dangerous activities in which workers were deployed to perform such dangerous work, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) observed in a statement on Friday.
The commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report about three workers who drowned at a sewage treatment plant of a multinational IT company in Greater Noida. The victims reportedly fell and drowned in the sewage treatment plant tank while repairing a submersible pump to repair a sewer overflow, he said.
The CNDH observed that the content of the news, if true, raises serious doubts about the violation of the victims' rights.
Accordingly, it issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of Uttar Pradesh police, seeking a detailed report within a week, the statement said.
The report should include the status of the FIR registered, action taken against those responsible, as well as help and rehabilitation provided to the family members of the deceased workers by the employer and the authorities concerned, it added.
The commission has been consistently advocating for a complete ban on hazardous cleaning activities without adequate protective or safety equipment or equipment, according to the statement.
He also advocated for the proper use of technology-based and work-friendly robotic machines, in addition to establishing the responsibility and accountability of the authorities, in case the death of a health worker occurs while carrying out dangerous cleaning work, he added.
To that extent, the NHRC issued a notice in September 2021 on "Protection of Human Rights of Persons Involved in Hazardous Cleaning" to the central and state governments, and local authorities to ensure complete eradication of such practice, they said. the functionaries.
The notice specifically notes that in the case of any sanitation work or hazardous cleaning work, the local authority and the contractor or employers must be jointly and severally liable and accountable, regardless of the type of employment or engagement of the sanitation worker. workers, according to the statement.
Apart from this, the decision given by the apex court in the case of Dr. Balram Singh vs Union of India dated October 20, 2023 lays down the mandate that it is the duty of local authorities and other agencies to use modern technology for sewer cleaning. saying.
According to the media report, published on June 25, the three workers were in their twenties. They were deployed at the company's wastewater treatment plant as part of its maintenance team for the past two years, the NHRC said.
Authorities "failed to be alert" or carry out adequate supervision to monitor the dangerous activities in which workers were deployed to perform such dangerous work, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) observed in a statement on Friday.
The commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report about three workers who drowned at a sewage treatment plant of a multinational IT company in Greater Noida. The victims reportedly fell and drowned in the sewage treatment plant tank while repairing a submersible pump to repair a sewer overflow, he said.
The CNDH observed that the content of the news, if true, raises serious doubts about the violation of the victims' rights.
Accordingly, it issued notices to the chief secretary and director general of Uttar Pradesh police, seeking a detailed report within a week, the statement said.
The report should include the status of the FIR registered, action taken against those responsible, as well as help and rehabilitation provided to the family members of the deceased workers by the employer and the authorities concerned, it added.
The commission has been consistently advocating for a complete ban on hazardous cleaning activities without adequate protective or safety equipment or equipment, according to the statement.
He also advocated for the proper use of technology-based and work-friendly robotic machines, in addition to establishing the responsibility and accountability of the authorities, in case the death of a health worker occurs while carrying out dangerous cleaning work, he added.
To that extent, the NHRC issued a notice in September 2021 on "Protection of Human Rights of Persons Involved in Hazardous Cleaning" to the central and state governments, and local authorities to ensure complete eradication of such practice, they said. the functionaries.
The notice specifically notes that in the case of any sanitation work or hazardous cleaning work, the local authority and the contractor or employers must be jointly and severally liable and accountable, regardless of the type of employment or engagement of the sanitation worker. workers, according to the statement.
Apart from this, the decision given by the apex court in the case of Dr. Balram Singh vs Union of India dated October 20, 2023 lays down the mandate that it is the duty of local authorities and other agencies to use modern technology for sewer cleaning. saying.
According to the media report, published on June 25, the three workers were in their twenties. They were deployed at the company's wastewater treatment plant as part of its maintenance team for the past two years, the NHRC said.
