Angul: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Chief Secretary and the District Magistrate, Angul, to ensure the needful action and submit the action taken report (ATR) over the death of two sewage workers during the cleaning of a septic tank in Nuahata village under Banarpal police station limits in Angul district.
The NHRC also sought a report on payment of compensation of `30 lakhs to the next of kin of each of the deceased sewage workers within six weeks. While adjudging a petition filed by rights activist Akhand, the NHRC issued such direction last week. The petitioner drew the attention of the apex rights body on the tragic death of two manual scavengers, Raghu Hansda (28) and Medha Nag (31) while they were engaged in cleaning a septic sewage tank in Nuahata village under Banarpal police station limits in Angul district.
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The complainant further submitted that the Supreme Court, in its landmark judgement in Safai Karamchari Andolan vs Union of India & Ors. (2014), made it unequivocally clear that manual scavenging is illegal and directed all concerned authorities to ensure the complete eradication of the practice. The top court further mandated a compensation of `10 lakh to the families of those who die while performing such hazardous tasks, irrespective of whether the employment was in the private or public sector.
Akhand requested the NHRC to consider the matter with urgency and take the necessary steps to deliver justice.
PNN