Members of the Municipal Workers Union allege that, despite several deaths taking place, the civic body has been flouting the 2006 High Court directive asking it to provide staffers cleaning manholes with safety gear such as earplugs, safety goggles, oxygen masks, gloves and gumboots.

This paper’s reporter visited a number of sites but observed that the workers had entered the manholes without safety gear. One was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and had been lowered into the manhole with the help of a rope held by his colleagues.