Kolkata, Feb 4 The demise of three workers engaged in scavenging and manual cleaning of a sewerage drain pipe in Kolkata’s Bantala leather complex, raises serious questions on the efficiency of the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) within that complex.
Insiders at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said that since a thorough probe in the unfortunate incident has already been ordered in the matter they expect that two crucial issues will be looked into.
The first being the efficiency of the STPs and the second the condition of the drain pipes there.
“It has to be seen whether the toxic chemicals used by the tanneries within the complex are properly drained out instead of contaminating the water in the surrounding areas. At the same time there is a need for an audit of the efficiency of the treatment plants there to address such hazards,” a KMC insider aware of the development said.
City-based green technologist Somendra Mohan Ghosh, who has long been vocal on this issue, told IANS that as per information available with him, three treatment plants there had long been virtually non-functional.
“The contaminated water has polluted wetlands and surrounding areas, causing harm to both human and environmental health. The tannery owners within the complex are also silent.
“This is a very serious issue and to me this is an environmental crime. The authorities must take immediate action to repair the treatment plants and prevent further environmental damage,” Ghosh said.
People in the KMC are wondering whether after this tragic incident, responsibilities will be fixed for avoiding similar mishaps in the future.
“The question is also whether the responsibility of the safety of workers rests only with the contractors who outsource the work or is there any accountability on the part of the officers of the sewerage-cum-drainage department to ensure that the contractors follow the safety norms,” the KMC insider said.
The unfortunate deaths have posed immense embarrassment for the biggest civic body in West Bengal since the mishap took place just days after a Bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia had ordered a complete ban on manual scavenging and sewage cleaning in six major metropolitan cities, including Kolkata.
The Apex Court directed the heads of the municipal bodies in these cities to file an affidavit at the apex court by February 13, explaining the steps taken to stop this practice and how and when the system has been completely stopped in respective cities.
Now, with the next hearing in the matter being scheduled at the Apex Court on February 19, KMC insiders feel the authorities might have to face uncomfortable and embarrassing questions there on the day of next hearing.
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