8 deaths due to manual scavenging in Delhi, UP in 10 days: Activists demand FIR against culprits
New Delhi (PTI): Expressing concern over eight deaths in the ten days in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi allegedly due to manual scavenging, activists demanded strict action against those who are responsible for forcing sanitation workers to clean septic tanks without safety gear.
Under the banner of Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) and Justice News, activists at a press conference demanded that culprits be identified and FIR be immediately lodged under Manual Scavenging Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Talking to reporters, members of DASAM alleged that on May 2, a 57-year-old man and his 30-year-old son died while they were preparing a sewer line in Lucknow's Wazirgang area.
No officials from Jal Nigam visited the site for two hours and by the time they were taken to hospital, they were declared dead, they alleged.
A senior advocate of the Supreme Court and founder of Human Rights Law Network Colin Gonsalves said, "It is horrifying that workers are forced to enter sewer line without any protocol, machines or oxygen gears to clean sewer line."
Radhika Bordia, an independent journalist, said two daily wage workers died on May 3 after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a septic tank of a private residence in Noida Sector 26.
"Another incident was reported from Mughalsarai where four people were killed while cleaning septic tank of a private residence," she said.
Bordia said that even after such incidents police do not take strict action.
"Under the Manual Scavenging Act, there is a law to rehabilitate the family members of any victim, providing government job to one of the family members and proper compensation," another activist Roma said, adding that the process was not being carried out.
She said on May 12, a sanitation worker was killed while cleaning a sewer in Rohini in Delhi.
The DASAM members also said they needed to unionise to fight for justice in such cases.
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
