The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a worker due to asphyxiation at a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Gangwa village of Hisar district on July 15.

The NHRC has issued notices to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the Superintendent of Police, Hisar, calling for a detailed status report on the matter within two weeks. The NHRC stated that the report is expected to include the status of the investigation, the injured worker's health, as well as compensation, if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured.

The deceased worker was identified as Monu, aged 22 while another worker, Sonu was admitted in a private hospital. Both the workers were employed by a contractor for cleaning of the STP in Gangwa village which is the native village of the Public Health Engineering Department, Ranbir Gangwa.

According to information, two workers entered a sewage tank to clear a blocked pipeline which had disrupted the flow of water at the plant. The workers — Monu and Sonu — both residents of Gangwa village, entered the tank to fix the problem. However, as they were in the process of cleansing the blockage using iron rods, the water flow resumed. However, the workers got unconscious due to the impact of toxic gas emanating from the blocked pipeline as both of them fell unconscious inside the tank.

The commission has observed that the incident raised serious issues of violation of human rights.