Families of three labourers who died while cleaning septic tank in Ariyalur refuse to accept bodies
Families of three labourers who died while cleaning a septic tank in Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu, are refusing to accept the bodies until the government provides compensation of ₹30 lakh per victim. Political groups and activists are supporting the families, citing a 2023 Supreme Court ruling regarding hazardous sewer work.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the persistent issue of hazardous manual scavenging in India and the legal battles surrounding state accountability for workplace safety and compensation.
Families of the three labourers, who suffocated to death on October 2 after entering a septic tank in a house under construction at Sendurai in Ariyalur district, have refused to receive the bodies after an autopsy and demanded ₹30 lakh as compensation for each victims from the State government.
The CPI(M), Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF), and the Annihilation of Hazardous Sewerage Killings, a people science movement, have extended their support to the families. The deceased were identified as K. Bhaskar, 42, of Srinivasapuram in Tiruvarur district; K. Dhinakaran, 60, of Alivalam village in Tiruvarur district, and K. Ramachandran, 45, of Nakkambadi village in Ariyalur district.
Dhinakaran who entered the septic tank first to remove wooden planks/supporting framework fixed inside fell unconscious and died. Bhaskar and Ramachandran who went to his rescue, one after another, also died.
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