HYDERABAD: The Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has asked secretary of the labour and human resource department for an investigation into the Sunday incident, where two sanitation workers died while clearing a manhole outside a factory in the SITE area of Hyderabad.

The rights commission has sought a report, to be prepared by an officer well-conversant with facts about the incident, by April 19.

SHRC chairman Iqbal Detho issued such letter on Monday. He reminded the Sindh labour department secretary that several such fatal incidents had been reported from Karachi and Hyderabad in the recent past, and noted with concern that sanitation workers had to undertake the job of clearing sewerage lines and manholes without adequate safety gears.

The commission had earlier raised the matter through its letters dated Jan 23 and March 27 and put forward recommendations to relevant provincial authorities, including the labour secretary, the SHRC recalled.

SHRC sees violation of laws, rules leading to recurrence of such incidents

It noted that the local government secretary had also issued necessary directives to his department’s regional directors in this regard on Jan 29. But the labour department, the SHRC chairman regretted, did not passed on such instructions to its regional directors.

This oversight led to a lack of monitoring and has now resulted in the tragic death of two more sanitation workers on Sunday, according to him.

He pointed out that Amir Johnson, 25, and his cousin Zohi Robin, 26, lost their lives by inhaling toxic gases accumulated in the manhole, located in front of a factory, while trying to clear it.

Violation of law

The SHRC, in its latest communication, observed that it was not an isolated incident because several sanitation workers had lost their lives in the past while cleaning sewerage lines without being provided Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) under the Sindh Occupation Safety and Health Act, 2017.

It repeated its earlier observation that standards of occupational safety were completely ignored by the officials concerned while asking sanitation workers to enter sewer manhole due to which their lives were endangered.

It termed the officials’ negligence “violation of Article 9 (right to life) & 14 (right to dignity) of Constitution”.

The commission reminded the officials concerned that The Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2017 was promulgated on Dec 26, 2017 to ensure provision of occupational safety and health conditions at all workplaces “for protection of persons at work against risk of injury arising out of activities at work places and for promotion of safe, healthy and decent working environment adapted to physical, physiological and psychological needs of all persons at work”.

It quoted various rules in this regard under multiple laws dealing with conditions dangerous to life or health.

Implementation of laws stressed

SHRC chairman Iqbal Detho told the labour secretary that the commission had taken cognizance of the recurring incidents, and stressed on the implementation of the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Act-2017 and the rules laid down in 2019.

He said that these measures were crucial to safeguard lives and wellbeing of sanitation workers in Sindh.

He also referred to his Jan 23 letter addressed to Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, the additional chief secretary of local government and managing directors of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Water and Sanitation Agency about its recommendations for the implementation of the Act and rules. He has also attached with the communication his Jan 27 letter addressed to all relevant authorities.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2024