After deaths, MCG makes sewer-entry permits must in Gurgaon

Gurgaon: MCG on Thursday made sewer entry ‘permits' mandatory. In a major step aimed at ending hazardous sewer cleaning, no one — including private organisations, contractors and individuals — will be allowed to enter it without prior approval from the newly constituted Responsible Sanitation Authority (RSA), according to an order issued by MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya. The RSA, which will be headed by the MCG chief engineer, will regulate sewer work across the city and issue the mandatory permits. The authority will also ensure that no person enters a sewer without protective equipment and approved safety protocols. The order empowers the authority to take legal action against any entity that forces or allows a person to enter a sewer without protective gear or proper authorisation.The order also establishes the Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU), an operational wing designed to act as a rapid response team for sewer emergencies. ERSU will respond to incidents such as sewer blockages, overflows and accidents, functioning like a "fire brigade for sewers," according to the order.MCG officials said the permit system will create direct accountability for both contractors and sanitation service providers, many of whom previously deployed workers informally for sewer cleaning.Officials said the move is intended to enforce "strict oversight" over sewer entry and prevent illegal and unsafe manual cleaning practices that led to repeated fatalities across the country. "The rule applies uniformly to govt staff, private sanitation companies, contractors and any individual engaged in sewer-related work," an official said.Each unit will include a quick response team of 10–12 trained sewer-cleaning professionals, supervised by divisional engineers. Control rooms will operate round the clock to respond to complaints through the MCG helpline 1800-180-1817 and the National Safai Mitra Helpline at 14420.