Tirupati:2 sanitary workers die while cleaning manhole

Tirupati : Municipal Commissioner Anupama Anjali suspended two officials in connection with the manhole incident where two sanitary workers died at Vaikuntapuram Arch in MR Palli of Tirupati on Wednesday. She issued suspension orders to MR Palli Assistant Engineer (AE) Ramesh and Amenity Secretary Pandu making them responsible for the incident.

She also issued show-cause notice to Superintendent Engineer T Mohan, who is the head of Engineering Department of Municipality to submit a detailed report on the incident within 24 hours and also wanted the Additional Commissioner Sunitha to lead the enquiry. All measures will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future after discussing in the next council meeting, she said in an official release. Meanwhile , the officials and employees of municipality condemned the suspension of AE Ramesh as he went to attend a departmental training in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

Two sanitary workers died of asphyxiation while cleaning a UDS manhole near Vaikuntapuram Arch in MR Palli of Tirupati on Wednesday. Another student Lachanna, who came to rescue the two workers also affected severely. The deceased has been identified as A Armugam,28, belonged to Puttur and Mahesh of Tiruchanur. The deceased died due of asphyxiation while cleaning an Under Ground Drainage (UDS) manhole which was blocked inside, after they failed to clean it mechanically. Armugam and Mahesh died while undergoing treatment at Ruia and SVIMS hospitals. Lachanna who was going on the road, also suffered severely while trying to rescue the two from manhole.

The locals, who noticed the incident, immediately made efforts to bring them out of manhole and were succeeded after half an hour of arduous effort. The three who fell unconscious due to poisonous gas inside the UDS were immediately shifted to Ruia hospital through 108 ambulance for treatment.

Mahesh was later shifted to SVIMS from Ruia. MR Palli police registered a case sent the both bodies to mortuary for postmortem. Armugam was married recently and his wife Monisha is a pregnant. Mayor Dr R Sirisha along with Commissioner Anupama Anjali visited Ruia hospital and consoled the family members deceased. The Commissioner announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the family members of deceased.

Meanwhile leaders from CPM, CPI, TDP and BJP staged a dharna at Ruia hospital and Municipal Office demanding Rs 50 lakh to the family members of deceased and a job to his wife and Rs 10 lakh to the severely affected Lachanna.