NHRC notice to NDMC, police over sanitation worker's death

NHRC today issued a notice to North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Police over the death of a sanitation worker while cleaning a drain in outer Delhi.

The National Human Rights Commission issued the notice to the NDMC Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer District, seeking a report into the incident within two weeks. The notice was issued after the Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that a temporary 'safai karmachari', Om Prakash Omi (43), died while his associate, Sagar (34) sustained serious injuries during the cleaning of a drain in sector-20 of Rohini.

A preliminary investigation by police revealed that the two workers had inhaled poisonous gas in the drain. The NHRC observed that issue raises a serious issue of violation of right to life and safety of safai karmacharis.