Probe ordered after man dies in Gurugram landfill collapse

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram on Friday ordered a vigilance probe into the death of a 21-year-old worker, who was buried alive under a pile of garbage on Monday.

MCG commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar has also ordered compensation and asked a team to submit a report within seven days on what led to the incident. “A two-member team of chief engineers will investigate the cause and strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty including the private agency,” he said.

Bangar said the administration had given the contract to process waste at the landfill to four private agencies. “One of the companies had outsourced excavators and was carrying out work when this unfortunate incident happened. Within 10 minutes, he was pulled out and taken to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival,” said Bangar.

The victim, Robi Yadav, worked as an excavator operator at the landfill after a massive heap of garbage came down around 4pm, killing Yadav on the spot. Workers at the site said the heap crumbled from atop a 28-meter mountain of trash. He had been working at the site for nearly four months and was clearing the route for garbage trucks to pass through when the incident occurred, police said.

The incident also sparked outrage amongenvironmental rights activists who called for immediate action against MCG officials and the private agency concerned under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Police have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC.

“Police were informed after which a team reached the hospital. Yadav’s family members were informed and his body has been kept in the Civil hospital for the postmortem,” Bangar said.

Senior officials said the vigilance team has been tasked with probing the reason that led to the accident and providing suggestions to ensure such incidents do not repeat. The officials added that the supervisor at the site had provided safety gear but Yadav did not use them. Officials said he was provided with helmet, face mask and protective gears.

Bangar said Yadav would have survived if he was equipped with the protective gear as the helmet would have protected his head. However, social activists said no safety gear work in such situations.

Officials said Yadav’s family recorded their statement but did not lodge any complaint. They have received a compensation of ₹4.5 lakh from the private agency.

Bangar said that police also launched a probe and the CCTV footage from the site was scanned to ensure there was no foul play. The CCTV footage ostensibly showed the excavator came to a halt, after which Yadav stepped out to check its front portion. He was not wearing any safety gear.

Twenty minutes after the collapse, another worker came to the spot and raised the alarm after an unconscious Yadav was pulled out of the heap.

Activists call for accountability

Activists, meanwhile called for criminal proceedings to be initiated against the erring agency and officials for negligence. “The license of the company and MCG vendor should be suspended. How come there were no emergency drills in place? No safety gear and protocol. Just two weeks back, a state of emergency was declared by the government of Haryana regarding waste management, under Disaster Management Act. MCG does not have things under control,” said Vaishali Rana, a city-based environmentalist

Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder member of Why Waste Your Waste, a civil society movement for a zero-waste city said the landfill employees already face occupational health risks due to gases and the nature of their work. However, waste landslides are a matter of huge concern and have more to do with technical supervision and monitoring.

“Build-up of gases loosens the solid waste and triggers the slides. We hope there will be a proper inquiry into this very tragic loss of life of a young person. This tragedy also underscores the urgency to implement the centralised systems wherein waste is treated nearest to source in smaller quantities, minimising risks to humans and the environment,” she said.

Nutan Prakash, 36, Yadav’s elder brother, said he was the youngest of eight siblings. Yadav had learned driving two years ago and was eager to work in Gurugram. “He used to do farming before shifting to Gurugram... He used to earn ₹14,000 and saved as much as he could to support the family. He was the only one who left the village to earn and care for our parents. His death has not only taken away my brother but also our hope for a better life,” said Prakash.

Raj Babbar visits site

Congress leader Raj Babbar visited the landfill on Friday and met the sanitation workers and officials. He said he had already raised the issue before the elections but it was “ignored”.

“The garbage mountain spread over 30 acres was already reporting minor landslides regularly. Despite warning the authorities, nobody moved a finger till a massive chunk slid down and killed one person. The pile was already killing locals, poisoning the air and the water. Now that it has caused a death in one swoop. Landfills are the last option and recycling and composting are the only ways to reduce the load sent to dumpsites,” he said.

Babbar added he will take up the issue with the Centre and ensure the problem of waste management is resolved at the earliest.

“I will protest, and plan a hunger strike to make authorities take action,” he added.

Shashi B Pandit of the Kabadi Mazdoor Union, meanwhile, also demanded action against those responsible for the death. “The parties responsible for this death should be arrested without delay. In addition to criminal charges, activists are demanding compensation for Yadav’s family under the Workers Compensation Act and a permanent job for a family member from the MCG which should be done,” he said.

The workers’ union said they are also calling for an immediate halt to all operations at the Bandhwari landfill.

The incident also serves as an awful reminder of the death of two people at the Ghazipur landfill site in Delhi in 2017, when a large heap of garbage collapsed and swept vehicles and people on the road to a nearby canal. The site had remained open despite orders for its closure 15 days prior. Dumping should have been halted when the landfill reached a height of 20 metres, but when it collapsed in September 2017, it was 50 metres high.