Manual Scavenging Tragedy: One Man Dies After Entering Sewer in Ashrayanagar, Four Arrested

BM TEAM

Bengaluru, July 21:
In a tragic incident that raises serious questions about the enforcement of laws banning manual scavenging, a 31-year-old daily wage worker died after allegedly being forced to clean a sewer in the Ashrayanagar area of the city on Sunday evening.

The deceased has been identified as Puttaswamy, a resident of the RMC Yard locality. Despite the strict nationwide ban on manual scavenging, he and another worker, Anthony, were reportedly made to enter a blocked manhole near the Indira Canteen in Ashrayanagar around 7 PM on Sunday to clean the sewer.

According to reports, neither of the two men were provided with any safety equipment. Both became severely unwell after inhaling toxic gases inside the manhole. Bystanders later pulled them out and tried to revive them by giving buttermilk and water, after which they were sent home without any medical assistance.

Tragically, Puttaswamy died later that night while resting at home. His body has been sent for postmortem examination.

Following a complaint by Puttaswamy’s father, police have arrested four individuals in connection with the incident. The accused have been identified as Nagaraju, Anthony, Ananth Kumar, and Devaraju. Police allege that Nagaraju had engaged Puttaswamy and Anthony to clean a clogged underground drain in Akshayanagar.

Authorities have registered a case under provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, as well as under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to causing death by negligence.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the ongoing, unlawful practice of manual scavenging, despite existing legal bans. Activists have demanded strict action and better enforcement of safety laws to prevent such avoidable deaths in the future.