A contract labourer died while clearing blockages on the stretch of Marianayagam Road at Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar near Perambur Paper Mills here on Wednesday. A joint engineer of Metro Water also died while trying to rescue the labourer.
Police said the labourer, D Shankar, allegedly entered the manhole to clear the blockage himself but soon started gasping for breath.
His cries for help were heard by joint engineer Venkatraman (56) who removed his clothes and tried to pull up Shankar but was unable to reach his hand.
Venkatraman was choked by the fumes emanating from the manhole and fell inside, dying in the process.
Metro Water, however, denied allegations that Shankar had entered the manhole to clear it manually. “He only tripped and fell into the manhole,” a source said.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Kilpauk Medical College Hospital as the contractor failed to turn up in time to assure Shankar’s family of compensation.
Crowd at the hospital started swelling as other contract workers threatened an agitation. Later, the contractor pacified the angry crowd agreeing to pay a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Sources, however, said Shankar’s family was entitled to a compensation of Rs 4.5 lakh. Shankar’s body was later taken away for cremation.
Tributes also poured in for joint engineer Venkatraman who is survived by his wife and daughter.
Metro Water managing director Apurva Verma paid floral tributes to the engineer and consoled the family members.
A wreath was also placed on behalf of Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department secretary Sheela Balakrishnan and Rural Development minister K P Munnusamy.
Venkatraman had already been transferred to Kodambakkam office of the Metro Water but was not relieved from the divisonal office in Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar.
“His valour at the time of duty should be recognised by the top management. It is similar to what our policemen and jawans do while safeguarding the interests of our nation and city,” a senior engineer of the Metro Water said, condoling his colleague’s death.