A sanitation worker lost his life and three others were rushed to hospital after inhaling toxic fumes during sewer cleaning in Ashok Vihar, police officials confirmed.
The victim was identified as 40-year-old Arvind, a native of Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh. According to police, he collapsed after being suddenly engulfed by poisonous gas and was pronounced dead on arrival at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.
The incident occurred around noon on September 16, when a PCR call was made reporting that four men had fallen into a sewer near Harihar Apartments in Ashok Vihar Phase II. Police said that along with Arvind, three other workers — Sonu and Narayana, both from Kasganj, and Naresh, from Bihar — were pulled out and admitted to the ICU in a semi-conscious state. All three remain under critical observation.
Investigators inspected the site immediately, and the manager of Brijgopal Construction Company, which had been handling the sewer maintenance, was summoned for questioning. Police sources indicated that sewer cleaning in the locality had been underway for several days prior to the tragedy.
The incident comes against the backdrop of a wider infrastructure push in Delhi, where slum areas have been demolished to make way for new construction and proper sewer networks. Authorities have said these efforts are aimed at ending recurring problems such as waterlogging, poor sanitation, and unreliable access to clean drinking water. Alongside the installation of modern sewer lines and drainage systems, officials are prioritising better roads, adequate street lighting, and basic civic facilities in affected areas.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also spoke on the issue while addressing the recent demolition drive at Madrasi Camp. She said that the High Court had issued repeated orders for the removal of the settlement to allow for cleaning operations at the Barapullah drain, a vital step to avert flooding in the capital.
Gupta told reporters that the government and administration had no choice but to comply with judicial directions. “The truth is that Madrasi Camp was located on the banks of the Barapullah drain, which needed to be cleared so that heavy machinery could enter for cleaning work. The court had ordered the demolition four separate times, warning that if the drain was not cleaned, Delhi could face a repeat of the 2023 floods. Residents of the camp have already been allotted alternative housing and shifted there. No one can go against a court order,” she said.
