Pune deaths add to 622 sanitation worker fatalities since 2017
What's the story
Three migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh died in Pune district on Saturday while cleaning a drainage tank at a mushroom processing unit. The incident occurred at the Wada Agro Mushroom Company in Belesar village, Purandar taluka, around 4:30pm, Hindustan Times reported. The deceased have been identified as Pintu Rajesh Prasa (23), Vyas Oham Kumar (22), and Gautam Ramsuran Kushwah (36).
Safety concerns
Here's what we know about incident
According to the Jejuri police, one worker entered the tank for cleaning and didn't come out. A second worker went in to check on him, followed by a third. None of them resurfaced. Local workers and residents then used a JCB machine to break open the concrete slab covering the tank. The three were rushed to Jejuri Rural Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Investigation underway
Cause of death to be ascertained after autopsy
Preliminary investigations suggest that the workers may have suffocated due to toxic gas inside the tank, possibly due to heat and poor ventilation. Deepak Waghchaoure, assistant police inspector at Jejuri police station, confirmed that a case of accidental death has been registered. He said further investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of death and if safety protocols were followed at the facility.
National crisis
Over 600 sanitation workers died since 2017
The deaths of the three workers in Pune are part of a larger national crisis. Since 2017, at least 622 sanitation workers have died in sewer and septic tank incidents across India, government data tabled in Parliament shows. The data was revealed in response to a question by Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Choudhary about sewer deaths and rehabilitation of manual scavengers.
State statistics
Compensation to victims' families remains a major issue
Uttar Pradesh, the home state of Saturday's victims, has recorded the most fatalities with 86. It is followed by Maharashtra (82), Tamil Nadu (77), Haryana (76), Gujarat (73), and Delhi (62). However, compensation has been a major issue. Of the 622 deaths across 21 states and Union Territories, 539 families received full compensation, while 25 got partial payment and 52 received nothing, the report stated.