A sanitation worker, identified as Joy, was tragically found dead on Monday morning after a strenuous 46-hour search operation in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Joy, aged 47 and a contractual laborer, had gone missing while cleaning the Amayizhanchan Canal near Thampanoor Central Railway Station on Saturday.
The discovery a sanitation worker, Joy’s body, located approximately one kilometer away from where he was last seen, was confirmed by his colleagues Rajeev and Manoj. The incident occurred amidst heavy rainfall that had swept his body into a canal stretch behind Sree Chitra Home at Thakarapparambu, as reported by The New Indian Express.
The search efforts involved multiple agencies, including the fire force, police, civic workers, and the National Disaster Response Force. The Indian Navy also joined the operation following their arrival on Sunday night, as reported by Asianet News.
Despite the use of Bandicoot robots by scuba divers from the Kerala Water Authority to aid in the search, the presence of accumulated waste in the canal proved challenging. Scuba diver Vojin M noted that large bundles of garbage obstructed their efforts, making it difficult to maneuver inside the tunnel where Joy’s body was eventually found.
Joy, who had secured the canal cleaning contract from the Railways, leaves behind his mother Melhi. The incident has underscored the risks faced by sanitation workers in hazardous conditions while performing essential duties.
Efforts are underway to investigate the circumstances leading to Joy’s tragic death, with authorities focusing on improving safety measures for workers in similar environments.
