The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that on 15th July 2026, one worker died and another was seriously injured after inhaling toxic gases while cleaning a sewage treatment plant tank at Gangwa village in the Hisar district, Haryana. Reportedly, the deceased worker’s family has alleged negligence by the contractor and the sewage treatment plant management.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the Hisar Superintendent of Police, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The report is expected to include the status of the investigation, the injured worker’s health, as well as compensation, if any, paid to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured.
According to the media report, carried on 16th July 2026, the workers were engaged by a contractor to clear a blocked pipeline. They entered the tank without any safety gear. The injured worker is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
