Kolkata: Three construction workers drowned inside a 10-foot-deep manhole at Kolkata Leather Complex on Sunday morning, allegedly after inhaling toxic gas, police said. The victims, who were reportedly not provided with protective gear, were assigned to repair a sewer joint when the tragedy occurred.
Farzem Sheikh (58), Suman Sardar (30), and Hasibur Sheikh (30) were part of a team contracted to renovate a section of the drainage network under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Their deaths come just three days after the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on manual scavenging and sewer cleaning in cities including Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
The incident took place outside the Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits, in an area managed by the metropolitan authority. Sources said water seepage from another pipeline had weakened the sewer’s connection to a high drain. Farzem reportedly entered the manhole to block the leakage with a sandbag but became trapped, likely due to toxic gas inhalation.
“The other two workers went in to rescue him but did not emerge. A fourth worker attempted to descend but felt unwell and quickly climbed back up to raise an alarm. The police were then alerted,” an officer said.
Divers, along with the fire brigade and Kolkata Police’s disaster management group, retrieved the bodies after a four-hour operation. The victims were from Murshidabad, and their autopsy reports from NRS Medical College and Hospital are awaited.
Mayor Firhad Hakim announced ₹10 lakh in compensation for each victim’s family. Police have detained a representative of the contractor responsible for the drainage work. Investigators revealed that the workers were hired by the Sector 6 Industrial Development Authority.
Hakim stated that while the KMDA was executing the new drainage system, the project originally fell under the MSME department. He added that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was “extremely concerned” about the incident and assured that an inquiry would determine accountability.
