The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Nuh Municipal Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police over the reported death of two sanitation workers and injuries to another after inhaling poisonous gases while cleaning a sewer line in the Nuh district, Haryana. Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, the commission has sought a detailed report within two weeks.

The Commission has also stressed that, in spite of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and its specific Advisory emphasising the mechanised cleaning of sewer lines or manholes with safety gear for the sanitation workers, such incidents are occurring frequently across the country.

According to media reports, the contractor engaged by the Public Health Engineering Department of the state government had deployed three workers for cleaning the sewer line without any safety gear.