3 killed, 2 critical due to poisonous gas in septic tank near Ballarpur

Chandrapur: Due to inhalation of dangerous poisonous gas in a sewage septic tank in Western Coalfields Limited Sasti township of Ballarpur area, on Tuesday morning. Two contract laborers working for a cleaning contractor and one Western Coalfields Limited employee have died. While 2 others including a Western Coalfields Limited employee had fainted.

The incident has exposed security lapses in sanitation works at Western Coalfields Limited. These contract laborers were not provided with any safety equipment at all, risking their lives while cleaning the septic tank filled with dangerous poisonous gases. About 4 years ago, 3 laborers were also killed in a similar case, while cleaning a well at the Empress City Residency building in Nagpur.

Sources have also told that these two contract laborers Subhash Khandalkar and Raju Janjarla were sent to clean the septic tank near the sewage pump-house in Sasti Basti, a residential colony of Western Coalfields Limited. After many complaints of getting jammed in the morning and the foul smell emanating from it. Both of them fell unconscious inside the tank due to these dangerous poisonous gases as soon as they entered the tank about 10 feet deep.

Sushil Korde, a Western Coalfields Limited employee supervising the work, got suspicious because the contract workers did not respond to his calls at all. He went inside to see both of them and he himself also fainted. The alert onlookers immediately informed the Western Coalfields Limited officials about the accident. Then a JCB machine was immediately called to the spot and then the entire cover of the septic tank was removed to allow rescue operations.

WCL contractor not provided any equipment

Western Coalfields Limited employee Pramod Vabhitkar and Sanitation worker Shankar Andgula led the rescue operation and got down to the septic tank to save the three people. When all three of them were thrown out, Even then, Pramod Vabhitkar and Shankar Andgula had fainted due to these dangerous poisonous gases. Then all the five of them were taken to the Western Coalfields Limited hospital in the area, Where contract laborers Raju Janjarla and Subhash Khandalkar were declared dead on the spot.

The remaining 2 unconscious people were taken to a private hospital in Chandrapur district for emergency treatment. Sources have also told that very seriously ill Sushil Korde had just been sent to Nagpur district for further treatment. Where he also died in the evening.

KK Singh, INTUC National General Secretary, strongly condemned the security lapse in similar work. He has also alleged that the Western Coalfields Limited contractor had not provided any equipment such as rope, gloves, gas mask, etc. to the laborers for carrying out the cleaning works in this area. Singh also alleged that had these sanitation workers been provided with safety equipment, then this accident could have been avoided. He has demanded the assistance of about Rs 15 lakh in the mine accident, compensation, and also job to the families of these deceased laborers. He has also demanded a detailed inquiry into the accident and action against the guilty contractor and officials of Western Coalfields Limited.

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