Gandhinagar, May 16: A tragic incident occurred in the Kalol area of Gandhinagar district, where three migrant workers lost their lives due to asphyxiation in an underground effluent treatment plant tank. Another worker sustained serious injuries, according to police reports released on Friday.
The incident took place at the Mafatlal Gujarat Industries Limited unit, where tarpaulin fabric processing is conducted. The facility treats wastewater generated during the dyeing process through an effluent treatment system.
According to police, the workers were cleaning an underground RCC tank used for treating colored wastewater. Before the cleaning began, water was pumped out of the tank, but approximately 1 to 1.5 feet of sludge and debris remained at the bottom.
The unit’s supervisor, who resides in the factory complex and is originally from Sirohi district in Rajasthan, informed the police that the workers descended into the tank for cleaning.
A complaint was filed at the Kalol Taluka police station under Section 194 of the Indian Citizenship Act. The workers entered the tank one by one using a metal ladder.
The first two workers to enter were 32-year-old Amit Parihar from Datia district in Madhya Pradesh and 37-year-old Amarkumar Srivastava from Faizabad district in Uttar Pradesh. They lost consciousness shortly after entering the tank, likely due to a lack of oxygen or toxic gas exposure.
In an attempt to rescue them, team member Anil Lodhi also entered the tank but lost consciousness as well. Subsequently, 44-year-old Shivnath Dubey, also from Faizabad, entered the tank for rescue but also became unconscious. All four were later retrieved from the tank.
Police confirmed that Amit, Amarkumar, and Shivnath were declared dead, while Anil was hospitalized and is currently under observation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident may have been caused by the accumulation of toxic gas or oxygen deficiency inside the tank. The exact cause will be determined following a forensic investigation. The Kalol Taluka police have registered an accidental death case and initiated further inquiries.
Forensic science laboratory teams have been called to the site to investigate the presence of toxic gases or other potential causes. Authorities are also examining whether the workers were provided with gas masks, oxygen support systems, and other necessary safety equipment prior to the cleaning operation.
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