Taking suo motu cognizance of the reported death of three workers on May 19, 2025 due to asphyxiation while cleaning a sewage tank without safety gear at a private industrial unit in Tiruppur district, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Chief Secretary, and the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, calling for a detailed report within four weeks.

The NHRC has also taken note of the critical condition of the fourth person who had entered the tank and is now undergoing treatment.

The NHRC has specified that the report should include the status of the investigation of the case, as well as compensation, if any, paid to the victim’s families.

An official press release, quoting media reports, said the workers employed at a dyeing unit in the Karaipudur area of Tiruppur district had been asked to clean the sewage tank of the factory. Shortly after entering the tank, all four began to suffocate and then collapsed. The co-workers pulled them out and rushed them to a private hospital, but three of them could not survive. The deceased belonged to the Scheduled Caste.

The Commission has observed that the contents, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. The Apex Court, in its judgement passed in the case, Dr. Balram Singh vs Union of India (WP(C) No. 324 of 2020) dated October 20, 2023, has held that it is the duty of the local authorities and other agencies to use modern technology for cleaning of sewers etc, the NHRC said.

The Commission has also been consistently advocating a total ban on activities of hazardous cleaning without adequate and proper protective / safety gears or equipment, and also has advocated suitable use of work-friendly and technology-based robotic machines, the NHRC release said, referring to the advisory it had issued on September 24, 2021, for the Protection of Human Rights of the Persons Engaged in Hazardous Cleaning to the Union, State Governments and local authorities with an objective to ensure complete eradication of such practice.

Compensation handed over

Accompanied by Tiruppur Collector T. Christuraj and other senior officials, Justice S. Tamilvanan, Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, on Monday, called on the dependents of the three deceased persons and handed over cheques for ₹6 lakh each, as first instalment. The State Government has promised ₹12 lakh financial support to each family.