The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken strong notice of a tragic incident in Pennadam town, Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu, where a man lost his life allegedly due to inhaling toxic gas during sewer cleaning.
On 26 June 2023, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, the Director General of Police, the District Collector, and the Superintendent of Police of Cuddalore district, requesting a detailed action report and relevant documents concerning the death of a hygiene worker in Cuddalore.
The NCSC took suo-motu cognizance of the incident involving Babu, who was employed in the Pennadam Town Panchayat of Cuddalore district and passed away on 24 May 2023. In the notice, the NCSC instructed officials to provide a copy of the First Information Report (FIR), medical reports, and information about any financial support given to the deceased worker’s family. Urgency was emphasized, and the concerned officers were urged to treat the notice as a top priority.
Earlier, Chairperson of National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) Ma. Venkatesan along with a team of officials visited Pennadam on 3 June 2023 to inquire about the incident. He also visited the spot where the deceased Babu was made to enter the drain and clean it.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai had collected the information and submitted it to the NCSC urging them to take appropriate action.
It is worth noting that Babu’s death became a matter of political controversy in Tamil Nadu. BJP Tamil Nadu State Secretary SG Suryah was arrested on the intervening night of 16 and 27 June 2023 for his statement against Madurai Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Su Venkatesan over the death of a hygiene worker who was allegedly forced to clean a faeces-filled drain by a Communist councillor. Suryah inadvertently mentioned that the incident happened in Madurai instead of Cuddalore.
According to Babu’s wife Deepa’s statement in the FIR, Babu was instructed by Ward Councillor Viswanathan on 19 May 2023 to clean the sewer line in ward number 12 of the Pennadam Town Panchayat. Deepa mentioned that Babu fell unconscious immediately after entering the sewer line near Sillupanur Road in Mettutheru and was quickly rushed to a private hospital in Pennadam. He was subsequently transferred to a private hospital in Perambalur for further treatment and then to Cauvery Hospital in Trichy. Unfortunately, Babu did not respond to the treatment and passed away in the early hours of 24 May 2023. Deepa accused the ward councillor and town panchayat administrators of failing to provide safety equipment for Babu during the sewer cleaning process.
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