Raipur, March 18 A day after three sanitation workers died while cleaning a septic tank at a leading private hospital in Raipur, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday ordered strict action against those forcing people into manual scavenging.
The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday evening at Ramkrishna Care Hospital, one of the largest private healthcare facilities in the state, where three workers lost their lives after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a septic tank.
Chairing a meeting of the state monitoring committee on the implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, Sai stressed that stringent action must be taken against individuals or agencies who employ workers in manual scavenging under coercion, an official statement said.
At the meeting held in the Assembly premises in Nava Raipur, the CM instructed officials to issue clear guidelines for sewer cleaning, stating that such work should only be carried out through municipal bodies or registered agencies, with strict adherence to safety protocols to prevent accidents, it said.
Expressing deep condolences over the workers' death, he directed authorities to ensure all possible assistance to the victims' families and to take firm legal action against those responsible for the tragedy so that such incidents do not recur.
Principal Secretary (Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Department) Sonmoni Borah informed that the law provides for penalties and imprisonment against those employing manual scavengers, including up to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
Awareness campaigns are being conducted in urban areas to eliminate the practice, said the senior bureaucrat.
This was the first meeting of the state-level monitoring committee after its reconstitution.
Borah said in compliance with Supreme Court directives and in accordance with established guidelines, a re-survey of manual scavengers was conducted across all districts of the state.
Following this exercise, all collectors have issued certificates declaring their respective districts as "Manual Scavenger-Free", the IAS officer stated.
The Principal Secretary emphasised that the practice of manual scavenging is against human and constitutional values. Every individual possesses the right to live with full dignity and respect.
The bureaucrat lauded the coordinated efforts of the Departments of Panchayat and Rural Development, Urban Administration and Development, and other collaborating departments and institutions for their commendable work towards the eradication of the practice of manual scavenging.
Police Commissioner of Raipur, Sanjeev Shukla, said a case has been registered against the sanitation contractor in connection with the death of the three workers in Ramkrishna Care Hospital premises.
Meanwhile, hospital director Dr Sandeep Dave has announced a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each for the families of the deceased workers.
The hospital will also provide Rs 20,000 per month for their children's education and lifetime free healthcare to the affected families, he added.