• Seven workers die while digging or cleaning wells every year

Kathmandu, May 4

The Metropolitan Police Office has appealed to all to adopt essential safety measures to avoid asphyxiation while digging or cleaning wells.

This appeal comes in the wake of the death of a worker at Gurjudhara of Chandargiri Municipality-2 yesterday. Shital Tamang, 29, of Makwanpur district died of asphyxiation in the course of cleaning a well on the premises of Rabindra Ghimire’s house.

On an average, seven labourers die every year due to oxygen deficiency or underground harmful gases while cleaning or digging well in Kathmandu Valley. Most households in Valley dig wells for water.

Three persons, including two siblings, died of hypoxia while cleaning a well in Payuntrar, Kapan of Budhanilkantha Municipality-19 on July 28 last year. The deceased were Ishwor Khadka, 24, his younger brother Kishor Khadka, 20, and Bishal Basnet.

According to police, Ishwor was the first man to die of oxygen deficiency. Kishor and Bishal went down the 45-feet deep well to rescue him after Ishwor did not respond to his call. Earlier on January 4, two labourers died of asphyxia in the course of digging a deep well in Golfutar.

“Post-mortem reports in the past have attributed oxygen deficiency and other toxic underground gases for deaths of workers climbing down the wells. Therefore, we appeal to all to adopt safety measures before climbing down the well,” read a press release issued by the MPO.

The law enforcement agency said a burning candle or oil lamp should be taken into the bottom of the well by fixing it to a bowl or bucket tied to a rope to ascertain the presence of fresh air. A candle or lamp needs oxygen to keep burning. “If the well is full of carbon monoxide and lacks oxygen, the lamp will be snuffed out. In such cases, no one should go down into the well,” said the MPO.

In many instances, sanitation workers and well-diggers do not seem to be following safety measures and hence they come into contact with underground harmful gases. A well or pit at a depth of over 10 metres below the ground lacks the presence of fresh air. Labourers are not equipped with oxygen cylinders and other kits to support their work.