New Delhi, Aug 8 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported death of one man and injuries to three others after debris fell on them while undertaking Pune Municipal Corporation-related drainage work in a trench near Nanded City township in Maharashtra, officials said on Friday.
Taking note of a press report published on Tuesday, the apex human rights body said the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victim.
The NHRC issued notices to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar and called for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
The report is also expected to include the health status of the injured persons, as well as compensation, if any, paid to the next of kin of the victim.
According to a media report, the incident occurred on July 4 during work carried out under the Japan International Cooperation Agency's River Improvement Project, which involves the construction of new sewage treatment plants and drainage lines in the area.
The project involves the construction of 11 new sewage treatment plants and the laying of new drainage lines to ensure that no untreated sewage is released into the Mula and Mutha rivers.
Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.
The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.
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