NHRC notice to CMD of NTPC Muzaffarpur, SSP over drowning of three children in 'ash dyke lagoon'

New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) The NHRC on Thursday said it has issued a notice to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and police authorities in Bihar over reports alleging that three children drowned in an 'ash dyke lagoon' constructed by the state-run organisation in Kanti area of Muzaffarpur district. The National Human Rights Commission has sought reports from the authorities on it in two weeks. The NHRC, in a statement, said it has taken "suo motu cognisance of a media report that three children died due to drowning in the 'ash dyke lagoon' constructed by the National Thermal Power Corporation in Kanti area of Muzaffarpur district, Bihar". A huge amount of coal ash is stored by the NTPC in these ponds. Reportedly, "no warning boards were installed" in the area, it said. The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the chairman and managing director, NTPC, Delhi, and the senior superintendent of police of Muzaffarpur, seeking a detailed report on it in two weeks, the rights panel said. According to the media report carried on July 12, allegedly no security personnel have been deployed to restrict the entry of villagers to these ponds, who collect coal residue to sell in the market, it said. In a separate statement, the NHRC said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that on July 14, a 28-year-old sanitation worker died allegedly after inhaling toxic gases in a sewer line during a cleaning operation carried out by the Noida Authority in Sector-93 of Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. Reportedly, the victim's family has alleged that the sanitation workers were "sent down into the sewer without adequate safety equipment", it said. The Commission has observed that the content of the news report, if true, raises serious issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Noida Authority chairman and the commissioner of police of Gautam Budh Nagar seeking a detailed report on it in two weeks, the statement said. According to the media report carried on July 15, the victim was pulled out by police personnel and fire brigade personnel, and rushed to a hospital where he died during the course of treatment, it said. PTI KND KSS KSS