After three contract labourers died while cleaning a septic tank of a community toilet in Ekta Nagar area of Kandivli West on Thursday, activists told mid-day that such fatalities are caused because of severe negligence in the construction of tanks, their maintenance and regular inspection by the authorities.
 
The issue surrounding the cleaning of septic tanks is not just limited to safety equipment, the activists said. The BMC spends crores on construction of toilets, but the network of sewage lines is poor, and design and construction of septic tanks, awareness among labourers, support to community-based organisations (CBOs) are some of the crucial issues that need attention, they added.

Designs not followed

Vijayshree Pednekar, an architect who helps design community toilets for women, said, “We cannot say right now what the issue was with the septic tank. But in general, septic tanks are not made as per the standard designs. The effluents (without pollutants) have to be filtered from the tank and sludge accumulated in the tank must be removed frequently. The tanks should be built considering the number of toilet seats and usage, but local contractors construct them without experts’ advice.”