MYSURU: A pourakarmika died and two others who got into a pit of a house are battling for their lives in Periyaptana of Mysuru district on Monday. The deceased Madhu (27) is survived by wife, two children and parents. He was pressed to clean the pit around 8.30 pm following a complaint of blockage of drainage line of a private layout. As they got into the pit, they developed breathlessness and Madhu collapsed and two others managed to come out and were rushed to hospital.
Madhu was later shifted to a hospital in Mysuru where he breathed his last on Monday. As the news of the death spread like wildfire, pourakarmikas led by former Karnataka State Safai Karmachari Commission chairman Narayana staged a protest.
Narayana asked the DC to arrest the person and officials who forced the pourakarmikas to clean the pit manually. They demanded that the government pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the deceased besides a government job. The DC Bagadi Gautham said they will pay the compensation as per the SC directions and an additional Rs 8.5 lakh under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.