Ten days after two workers were swept away inside a sewage treatment plant (STP) tank in Bengaluru's Varthur, rescue teams are yet to recover the body of one of the victims. Officials involved in the search say only partial remains of the worker's body have been found so far.
When TNM visited the BWSSB's Balegere STP, reporters were not allowed inside the premises. Officials present at the site said search teams have been able to recover only body fragments in recent days. "Two days ago, part of his leg was found," an official said, adding that the search is continuing.
Brijesh Kumar (27), an outsourced employee of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) from Bihar, fell into the STP's wet well on June 18. Supervising engineer Agilan Mohan, who was also swept away, was found dead in the early hours of June 21.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Fire and Emergency Services have been carrying out continuous search operations. According to officials, the tank is over 40 feet deep and about 80 feet in diameter, making rescue efforts extremely difficult.
"The water level has receded, but around five feet of sludge, plastic and other waste remains inside the plant. The STP has only a small opening, making access difficult," the officer said.
Rescue teams have deployed excavators, body-detection sensors and divers equipped with oxygen tanks. However, accumulated waste has hampered efforts to locate the body. Officials suspect Brijesh's body may have been pulled into one of the plant's six pumps or buried beneath the sludge. Teams are currently inspecting all the pumps.
The accident occurred on the evening of June 18 while workers were repairing a gate inside the wet well. One worker, Karthik, managed to escape and alert others, but Agilan Mohan and Brijesh were swept away by the strong flow of wastewater.
Based on a complaint filed by Assistant Executive Engineer Santosh Kumar, the Varthur police registered an FIR on June 19 against Chennai-based company VA Tech Wabag Ltd, under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for acts endangering life or personal safety.
The FIR states that the company, which was contracted to operate and maintain the STP, allegedly carried out maintenance work without adhering to BWSSB's prescribed safety protocols. It alleges that inadequate safety measures led to the deaths and holds the contractor responsible for criminal negligence.
Police have issued a notice to the company. "Rescue efforts will continue for now, and further investigation will proceed based on the complaint," a police officer said. The Varthur police are continuing their investigation.
According to a report in the Deccan Herald, senior BWSSB officials attributed the incident to alleged negligence by the contractor and failure to follow mandatory safety protocols. According to officials, the contractor was responsible for ensuring workers used personal protective equipment, including safety harnesses.
Officials added that while BWSSB deputes officers to oversee plant operations, they cannot monitor every maintenance activity. They said STP operations require specialised expertise and are therefore outsourced, though workers are expected to follow standard operating procedures during manual interventions.
Following the incident, BWSSB Chairperson N Manjula visited the site and ordered that the search operation be intensified. She also constituted a three-member committee comprising Chief Engineer KN Rajeev, Additional Chief Engineer KS Renukumar and Deputy Chief Engineer Vinutha DS to investigate the circumstances leading to the accident.
