Four workers died on Monday after suffocating inside a septic tank at a jewellery shop in Jaipur. The workers had been sent into the tank without any safety equipment to remove sludge. The sludge contained gold and silver particles lost during washing, which the shop tried to recover.
According to police, the workers were hesitant to enter the tank at first. They agreed only after being offered extra money.
Gold and silver particles often get lost during washing, which removes impurities from precious metals. These particles are recovered using methods like sedimentation, filtration, and chemical treatment.
Police explained that the jewellery shop uses a process to recover gold and silver particles from the sludge in its septic tank. After washing the metals with chemicals, the sludge collects in the tank. The shop owners hire sanitation workers to remove this sludge so the precious metals can be extracted later.
Anil Jaiman, a local police officer, said Vikas Mehta, the CEO of the company, and Arun Kothari, the director, persuaded the workers to enter the tank by offering extra pay. The workers initially refused because of the hot weather.
Jaiman said eight workers, employed through a contracting agency, went inside the tank and fainted. Four of them—Rohit Pal, Sanjeev Pal, Himangshu Singh, and Arpit Yadav—from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur and Ambedkar Nagar districts, died. Two workers are still being treated in the hospital, while two others have been discharged.
“They were not provided with any safety equipment,” Jaiman added.
Forensic experts examined the site. The police are investigating why the workers were forced to clean the underground septic tank without safety measures during a heatwave. They are also looking into the legality of storing gold particles in the tank.
“We will take action against the jewellery shop owners and the contractors responsible,” Jaiman said.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke out about the incident. He noted that many sanitation workers have died while cleaning septic tanks in places like Bikaner, Deeg, and Jaipur. He questioned the state government’s lack of action.
“At least 10 sanitation workers have died cleaning septic tanks in these cities. It seems the government is not serious about their safety. Although the government announced plans to buy more cleaning machines, nothing has happened yet. When will the government act?” he asked on X.
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