Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Human Rights Commission on Sunday took suo motu cognizance after a sanitation worker went missing while cleaning garbage in a Thiruvananthapuram canal.
Joy (47), a native of Marayamuttom, was swept away on Saturday while he was working under the Amayizhanchan canal at the Thampanoor Central Railway Station premises.
The rights panel issued notices to District Collector Geromic George and Municipal Corporation Secretary Jahamgeer S, directing them to provide an explanation and submit a detailed report on the incident within a week.
A joint search operation by the NDRF and Fire Force is underway to find Joy, with a Navy team from Kochi set to join the efforts on Sunday. Joy was swept away while working in a 140-meter-long canal tunnel that runs beneath the tracks of the Central Railway Station.
Three temporary workers, including Joy, were employed by a contractor hired by the Railways to clean the section of the canal within its jurisdiction. When the water flow increased due to heavy rain, Joy was swept away by the currents. Although the other workers standing on the canal banks threw a rope for him, Joy was unable to grasp it. The work was being carried out without any safety precautions. Joy is the son of the late Neshamani and Melhi.
