New Delhi, June 10, 2026
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the death of four workers while cleaning a septic tank at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Surat district.
Observing that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights, the apex human rights body has issued notices to the Gujarat Chief Secretary and the Surat Commissioner of Police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
The NHRC said the report is expected to include the status of the investigation and details of any compensation paid to the next of kin of the deceased workers.
According to the media report carried on June 8, the incident occurred on Sunday when four workers entered a septic tank at a jewellery manufacturing unit in Surat for cleaning work.
Reportedly, the workers entered the tank without following the prescribed safety protocols and became victims of toxic fumes. They were subsequently rescued and taken to a hospital, where doctors declared all four dead.
The septic tank was used to collect waste generated during the jewellery cleaning process at the manufacturing unit.
“The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights,” the NHRC said in a statement.
The latest intervention comes weeks after the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of another sewage tank cleaning incident in Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar, where one worker died, and another suffered critical injuries after allegedly entering the tank without adequate safety equipment.
In that case, too, the apex human rights body had sought reports from the civic and police authorities, highlighting concerns over recurring violations of safety norms during sewer and septic tank cleaning operations.(Agency)
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