<p align="justify">Three people died due to suffocation while cleaning a blocked Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at N D Sepal apartment at Somasundarapalya in HSR Layout, Bengaluru, on Sunday.</p>.<p align="justify">The trio was hired to clean the STP at this apartment complex for several months, a resident told DH.</p>.<p align="justify">The incident has once again brought to light the scourge of manual scavenging, which is banned.</p>.<p align="justify">The victims have been identified as Srinivas (55), a resident of Bandepalya, Narayanaswamy (38) a resident of Kaikondrahalli, and Madegowda (40), a resident of Somasundrapalya.</p>.<p align="justify">Narayanaswamy was employed as maintenance staff at the apartment while Madegowda was working as an electrician at a garment factory.</p>.<p align="justify">During their weekly offs, Narayanaswamy used to take Madegowda and Srinivas, a painter, to clean the water tanks and STP at the apartment.</p>.<p align="justify">A senior police officer said that around 10.45 am, the three men, along with a colleague, Manjunath, went to clean the STP.</p>.<p align="justify">Madegowda first went inside the STP and began pouring out waste water. Soon he started screaming and fell unconscious.</p>.<p align="justify">The STPs contain highly toxic gases which could prove fatal if inhaled.</p>.<p align="justify">On hearing the screams, Srinivas and Narayanaswamy went to rescue Madegowda, but they, too, fell unconscious.</p>.<p align="justify">Manjunath, who was standing nearby, raised an alarm.</p>.<p align="justify">The residents then informed the police, and fire and emergency service personnel, who took an hour to reach the spot.</p>.<p align="justify">It also took them an hour to retrieve the bodies of Madegowda and Narayanaswamy.</p>.<p align="justify">Srinivas, who was still breathing, was taken to a hospital. But doctors declared him brought dead.</p>.<p align="justify">The bodies of Madegowda and Narayanaswamy have been shifted to St John's Hospital.</p>.<p align="justify" class="CrossHead">Norms violated</p>.<p align="justify">DCP (southeast) M B Boralingaiah said a case of death due to negligence has been registered against N D Sepal Resident Welfare Association.</p>.<p align="justify">The association had assigned the work with no supervisor and also did not provide the victims with any safety gear.</p>.<p align="justify">The police said Kumar, the apartment manager, said that Narayanaswamy was given the contract by the association to clean the STP.</p>.<p align="justify">Narayanaswamy was charging Rs 21,000 for monthly maintenance.</p>.<p align="justify">The trio was cleaning the STP every two months.</p>.<p align="justify">A resident on condition of anonymity confirmed to DH that the workers were not provided with any safety gear, and also that no experienced person was monitoring the work.</p>.<p align="justify">The victims were also cleaning the STP manually.</p>.<p align="justify">Chief Fire Officer Basavanna C said the victims were not supposed to clean the STP and should have asked for civic agencies to help them instead.</p>.<p align="justify">The association members have been summoned for questioning and necessary action will be initiated against them, Boralingaiah said.</p>.<p align="justify">The police confirmed that three office-bearers are being interrogated.</p>.<p align="justify">An officer from the fire and emergency service department said that a colleague fainted during the rescue operation.</p>.<p align="justify">The officer was given first aid and is normal now.</p>.<p align="justify">He also said that the STP, which is eight feet deep and 12x12 feet wide, was completely blocked.</p>.<p align="justify">The association could have hired a machine to pump out the water, the officer added.</p>.<p align="justify">After the incident, most residents did not come out of their flats and even refused to speak with the police and emergency service personnel, a senior fire official said.</p>.<p align="justify">Families of the deceased alleged that the residents did not help the victims and held them responsible for their death.</p>.<p align="justify">The families are planning to stage a protest at the apartment complex after completing the last rites.</p>
<p align="justify">Three people died due to suffocation while cleaning a blocked Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at N D Sepal apartment at Somasundarapalya in HSR Layout, Bengaluru, on Sunday.</p>.<p align="justify">The trio was hired to clean the STP at this apartment complex for several months, a resident told DH.</p>.<p align="justify">The incident has once again brought to light the scourge of manual scavenging, which is banned.</p>.<p align="justify">The victims have been identified as Srinivas (55), a resident of Bandepalya, Narayanaswamy (38) a resident of Kaikondrahalli, and Madegowda (40), a resident of Somasundrapalya.</p>.<p align="justify">Narayanaswamy was employed as maintenance staff at the apartment while Madegowda was working as an electrician at a garment factory.</p>.<p align="justify">During their weekly offs, Narayanaswamy used to take Madegowda and Srinivas, a painter, to clean the water tanks and STP at the apartment.</p>.<p align="justify">A senior police officer said that around 10.45 am, the three men, along with a colleague, Manjunath, went to clean the STP.</p>.<p align="justify">Madegowda first went inside the STP and began pouring out waste water. Soon he started screaming and fell unconscious.</p>.<p align="justify">The STPs contain highly toxic gases which could prove fatal if inhaled.</p>.<p align="justify">On hearing the screams, Srinivas and Narayanaswamy went to rescue Madegowda, but they, too, fell unconscious.</p>.<p align="justify">Manjunath, who was standing nearby, raised an alarm.</p>.<p align="justify">The residents then informed the police, and fire and emergency service personnel, who took an hour to reach the spot.</p>.<p align="justify">It also took them an hour to retrieve the bodies of Madegowda and Narayanaswamy.</p>.<p align="justify">Srinivas, who was still breathing, was taken to a hospital. But doctors declared him brought dead.</p>.<p align="justify">The bodies of Madegowda and Narayanaswamy have been shifted to St John's Hospital.</p>.<p align="justify" class="CrossHead">Norms violated</p>.<p align="justify">DCP (southeast) M B Boralingaiah said a case of death due to negligence has been registered against N D Sepal Resident Welfare Association.</p>.<p align="justify">The association had assigned the work with no supervisor and also did not provide the victims with any safety gear.</p>.<p align="justify">The police said Kumar, the apartment manager, said that Narayanaswamy was given the contract by the association to clean the STP.</p>.<p align="justify">Narayanaswamy was charging Rs 21,000 for monthly maintenance.</p>.<p align="justify">The trio was cleaning the STP every two months.</p>.<p align="justify">A resident on condition of anonymity confirmed to DH that the workers were not provided with any safety gear, and also that no experienced person was monitoring the work.</p>.<p align="justify">The victims were also cleaning the STP manually.</p>.<p align="justify">Chief Fire Officer Basavanna C said the victims were not supposed to clean the STP and should have asked for civic agencies to help them instead.</p>.<p align="justify">The association members have been summoned for questioning and necessary action will be initiated against them, Boralingaiah said.</p>.<p align="justify">The police confirmed that three office-bearers are being interrogated.</p>.<p align="justify">An officer from the fire and emergency service department said that a colleague fainted during the rescue operation.</p>.<p align="justify">The officer was given first aid and is normal now.</p>.<p align="justify">He also said that the STP, which is eight feet deep and 12x12 feet wide, was completely blocked.</p>.<p align="justify">The association could have hired a machine to pump out the water, the officer added.</p>.<p align="justify">After the incident, most residents did not come out of their flats and even refused to speak with the police and emergency service personnel, a senior fire official said.</p>.<p align="justify">Families of the deceased alleged that the residents did not help the victims and held them responsible for their death.</p>.<p align="justify">The families are planning to stage a protest at the apartment complex after completing the last rites.</p>