Engineer’s body recovered from Varthur STP; search continues for another missing worker

The body of a supervising engineer who went missing after falling into a sewage treatment plant (STP) tank at Balagere near Varthur was recovered in the early hours of Saturday, while rescue teams continued their efforts to trace another missing worker on Sunday to no avail. 

The deceased has been identified as Agilan Mohan, 30, a native of Tamil Nadu. His body was retrieved around 3.50 a.m. following an overnight search operation conducted jointly by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services personnel. The body has been shifted for post-mortem examination.

The search is still underway for Brijesh Kumar, 27, a worker from Bihar, who also went missing after the incident on Thursday evening. Rescue operations have been hampered by heavy rain, poor visibility and the presence of toxic gases inside the sewage treatment facility. The chances of his survival are very slim, sources said. 

The accident occurred during maintenance work at the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)-operated STP near Balagere Road between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on June 18. Preliminary findings indicate that three workers entered a 40-foot-deep wet well for cleaning and maintenance operations. While one worker, Karthik, managed to escape and alert colleagues, Agilan and Brijesh were trapped inside the tank.

FIR against private firm

Based on a complaint lodged by Santosh Kumar, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of BWSSB, the Varthur police registered an FIR on June 19 against VA Tech Wabag Ltd. under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for acts endangering life or personal safety of others.

According to the FIR, the Chennai-based company had been entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the STP under a five-year contract. During maintenance work at the rear gate of the wet well’s coarse screen, supervising engineer Agilan Mohan and worker Brijesh Kumar reportedly fell into the wet well and were swept away by wastewater. Another worker managed to escape.

The FIR alleges that the work was carried out in violation of BWSSB safety protocols and without adequate safety mechanisms. It states that the contractor should be held accountable for criminal negligence leading to the incident.

The police have issued a notice to the company. “ Rescue efforts will continue for now, and further investigation will proceed based on the complaint,” a police officer said.

The Varthur police are continuing their investigation into the incident.