Vijayapura STP tragedy: Commission upset over lack of safety measures

Members of Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Shashidhar Kosambe and Shekhargouda Ramatnal have expressed displeasure over lack of minimum safety measures around the Sewage Treatment Plant in Vijayapura, where three children drowned recently.

Members of Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights Shashidhar Kosambe and Shekhargouda Ramatnal have expressed displeasure over lack of minimum safety measures around the Sewage Treatment Plant in Vijayapura, where three children drowned recently.

Visiting the STP that is located off the main road in Vijayapura on Friday, Mr. Kosambe and Mr. Ramatnal found that there was no barbed wire fencing or compound wall around the sewage treatment plant and also that adequate staff had not been deployed at the site. Expressing displeasure over the apathy of the municipal officials and they said that the officials were responsible for the mishap which led to the death of three children.

Speaking to presspersons after the site inspection, Mr. Kosambe said that he had directed the municipal authorities to install barbed wire fencing, a gate and CCTV cameras within a week. The officials had also been directed to provide immediate and maximum compensation to the victim’s families. He said that if requisite safety measures were not taken within a week, then the Commission would recommend for requisite action against the officials and submit a report to the government. He said that already the commission had registered a suo motu complaint on the mishap and the Commission was committed to provide speedy justice the families of the three children, who lost their lives.

Mr. Ramatnal said that after the mishap the local residents were of the opinion that the STP should be shifted to the outskirts of the city and the issue would be discussed with the municipal authorities.

Both Mr. Kosambe and Ramtnal met the family members of Mihir (one of the victims) and assured them that the Commission would stand with the family and provide justice to them. Various officials accompanied them during the visit.

Both the commission members also visited few hospitals against which action was recommended on charges of conducting sex determination tests. They found that there had been delay in taking action and only scanning centres of such hospitals had been seized. During the visit Mr. Kosambe spoke to the District Health and Family Welare Officer on the phone and took him to task for the inadequate action against erring hospitals.

He told presspersons that it had been found that the action was inadequate against such erring hospitals and the Commission would not tolerate such apathy towards such a serious issue and would be forced to recommend action against officials.