Kejriwal meets family of sanitation worker who died while cleaning drain, announces compensation

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday met the family members of a sanitation worker who died while cleaning a drain in Wazirabad area, and assured them of a job and compensation of Rs 10 lakh.

The visit by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came a day after Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit said she will meet the family.

The 37-year-old contractual sanitation worker, Kishan, suffocated to death after he got trapped inside an underground drain of Irrigation and Flood Control Department in north Delhi's Wazirabad area on Sunday.

"Its very sad. We will give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and job to one of the family member of the deceased sanitation worker," Kejriwal said after meeting the family at Gandhi Vihar area.

Delhi government has set a very stringent norm for cleaning of drains and sewers, but many times, some contractors and engineers violate the rule and ask the labourers to enter the drain or sewer without proper safety kit, he said.

"This also prima facie looks like a similar case. We will take strong action against the contractor and the engineer involved in this," he said.

Dikshit is scheduled to meet the family of the deceased sanitation worker at 5pm today, said a Congress leader.

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has sent a notice to the Delhi government over the incident.

It said that reportedly workers at the site were "not provided" safety gears such as face masks, breathing apparatus, uniforms and other equipment.