
AHMEDABAD: In a tragic incident on Tuesday, two sanitation workers from the Dalit community are believed to have died from asphyxiation while cleaning a manhole in Patdi taluka, Surendranagar district, Gujarat. Police have confirmed that a third worker is receiving medical treatment.
One individual has been arrested in connection with the incident, and investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the deaths. Three individuals, including the chief officer of the municipality, have been booked for culpable homicide along with other charges.
Meanwhile, the families of the deceased will receive a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each.
Police reports reveal that the victims, Chirag Kanu Patadiya (18) and Jayesh Bharat Patadiya (28), entered a 15 to 20-meter-deep manhole without any safety gear or a rope line, leading to the tragic incident.
At around 8 am on Tuesday, under instructions from senior officials of the Patdi Nagarpalika, Chirag, Jayesh, and fellow worker Chetan Manga Patadiya were assigned to clean the sewage line near Devotion School in Patdi.
By 11:30 am, while working inside the manhole, Chirag and Jayesh were overcome by toxic gas released into the chamber. Despite being outside, Chetan attempted to rescue them but was also affected by the fumes. Unable to save them, he called for help, police said.
The two men were later pulled from the manhole and rushed to a hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival.
According to Police officials Chetan is currently undergoing treatment.
An FIR filed at Patdi Police Station has led to the booking of Patdi Nagarpalika Chief Officer Mausam Patel, Sanitary Inspector Harshad, and contractor Patel for culpable homicide, along with other charges.
These include violations under the BNS, The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act.
The FIR, lodged based on a complaint by Jayesh’s uncle, Baldev Jayanti Patadiya, highlights that Chirag, Jayesh, and Chetan — all residents of Valmiki Vaas in Surendranagar’s Patdi — were employed as contractual sanitation workers.
Authorities are investigating the case further, with serious charges against the involved parties, as the tragic deaths of the workers have sparked public outrage.
DySP J D Purohit confirmed, “We have arrested contractor Sanjay S Patel and are currently questioning him regarding the involvement of Nagarpalika officials.”
This is not the first incident of sanitation workers dying while cleaning manholes in Gujarat. According to data from the Legislative Assembly, “Seven sanitation workers lost their lives cleaning sewers between February 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, and four more fatalities occurred between February 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023.”