Two people died at BSNL duct in Nigdi Pradhikaran on Wednesday
The incident occurred nearly a year after three contractual workers died of suspected suffocation inside the same chamber on Aug 15, 2025. The authorities concerned have been told to submit facts and information regarding the incident and action taken on the allegations within 15 days of receiving the notice.
“The alleged failure to prematurely secure, close or otherwise make the duct safe after the earlier incident, if established upon inquiry, would constitute a grave dereliction of duty owed by the authorities concerned to protect human life,” Charan wrote in his letter to the NCSC. Pune: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has taken cognisance of the deaths of two people inside an underground cable chamber in Nigdi and issued notices to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the police commissioner and the assistant commissioner of social welfare, seeking details of the incident and action taken on the allegations. The commission took cognisance of the matter following a complaint lodged by Sagar Charan, national legal adviser of the Akhil Bharatiya Safai Mazdoor Sangh. Meanwhile, the National Commission for Safai Karmacharis (NCSK) also took cognisance of the matter and asked district collector Jitendra Dudi to get the incident investigated and initiate action against those responsible. Commission secretary Rahul Kashyap also sought details of the FIR registered in the matter.
He highlighted that both BSNL and PCMC had been issued notices over the inherent danger associated with the chamber following last year’s incident, but allegedly failed to take necessary precautions to make the chamber inaccessible or safe for entry. The notices were issued on Thursday, a day after the two men died after entering the chamber late on Wednesday.
The commission has further asked the collector to ensure that the victims’ next of kin receive insurance payments of Rs 10 lakh, compensation of Rs 30 lakh as per the applicable norms, and rehabilitation for family members by the state govt in accordance with Supreme Court directions. Not just safety gear, responsibility for workers’ safety also missing: Activists