A 43-year-old worker died, while his brother and their cousin’s nephew were injured after entering a manhole in south-east Delhi’s New Friends Colony on Sunday evening. Police said the victims were contractual workers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and were sent to repair a leakage. But the water utility has denied any connection to the incident and maintained that the workers were neither their regular staff nor their contractual workers. It also stated that there was “no ongoing works for cleaning of the sewer on Sunday”.
The incident occurred at the roundabout in the New Friends Colony West area. According to police and locals, the deceased, Panth Lal Chander, entered the manhole to rescue his brother Ramkishan Chander (37) and their cousin’s nephew Shiv Das (25), who were trapped by toxic fumes while repairing the leakage.
According to the police, the police control room received a call around 4pm from locals reporting that workers had collapsed inside the manhole.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) Ravi Kumar Singh said, “The caller was unaware of the exact number of victims. An investigating officer rushed to the spot and found that the victims had already been shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre by PCR van personnel. The hospital informed us that Panth was declared brought dead, while Ramkishan is in a critical condition. Shiv Das is stable, and his statement has been recorded.”
All three men were residents of a slum colony in the Sriniwaspuri area.
“The crime team has inspected the site, and necessary legal action is being initiated,” the DCP added. An FIR has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and relevant sections of the Manual Scavenging Act. No arrests have been made yet.
At the AIIMS Trauma Centre, family of the deceased was inconsolable. Panth leaves a wife and five children and he was the sole breadwinner of the family. His brother, Ramkishan, is critical and undergoing treatment.
Shiv Das, who was discharged late Sunday, said Panth’s wife had not been informed about her husband’s death until Monday evening due to concerns about her emotional state. “Panth chacha has five children. His eldest daughter, Laxmi Chander (23), is married and lives in Chhattisgarh. We were preparing for Manisha’s (second eldest) wedding and planned to visit Chhattisgarh soon. Nisha (third eldest) is also in Chhattisgarh with her sisters and mother. Only Amrita (fourth eldest) and Aman (youngest) are in Delhi,” he said.
Locals said 10-year-old Aman was at the site when the incident happened.
Describing the harrowing moments inside the manhole, Shiv Das said, “There was an issue with the pipe, and we went down to fix it. We had no masks or safety gear on. The manhole is about 10-12 feet deep. Once inside, we struggled to breathe and called for help. Panth rushed down to assist us but soon collapsed. Aman, who was watching from outside, started screaming for help. Locals gathered, and the fire department arrived about 15-20 minutes later. By then, I had fainted.”
A security guard at the site added, “There was a water leakage, and two men entered the manhole. Later, a third worker went in to assist, but all of them got trapped by fumes. I was alerted by a crying child who said his father was stuck. Locals and I called the police and fire service. Unfortunately, no contractor was present to oversee the work. The men collapsed due to the toxic gases.”
Entering manholes without protective equipment is strictly prohibited under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The law bans manual scavenging and mandates the use of protective gear and mechanised cleaning methods to prevent hazardous exposure. Violations of these provisions can lead to severe legal consequences, including imprisonment and fines. Despite these regulations, unsafe practices persist, often endangering the lives of workers.
Police confirmed that the manhole was approximately 10 foot deep and contained toxic gases, while the workers lacked proper safety equipment. Authorities are now searching for the contractor to initiate legal proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Jal Board denied any connection to the incident. In a press statement on Monday, the department said, “The site was inspected at 10 am (Monday) and it was observed that these three persons (victims) were neither DJB regular staff nor contractual workers. This was an unauthorised access into a DJB manhole, and there was no ongoing sewer cleaning work on Sunday. A letter has been sent to the SHO for necessary action.”
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