Rescue Teams Search for Akhilesh inside Balagere Sewage Treatment Plant
A search and rescue operation is underway in Balagere, Bengaluru, to locate a 30-year-old worker who went missing after falling into a sewage treatment plant (STP). The worker, identified as Akhilesh, a resident of Bihar, is suspected to be trapped inside a circular compartment of the Balagere STP.
Akhilesh and Akilan, a mechanical supervisor from Tamil Nadu, fell into the plant on Thursday evening while conducting an inspection. While Akilan's body was recovered early Saturday, rescue teams continue to search for Akhilesh amid highly challenging conditions.
Officials stated that the missing worker is believed to be inside one of the STP’s circular compartments, which has an approximate radius of 10 to 11 metres and a depth of 13 metres. However, a thick layer of silt, sludge, plastic waste, and accumulated sewage has severely hindered search efforts. Nearly three to four feet of the structure is covered in accumulated silt.
The tank consists of three compartments. One contains a large quantity of plastic and floating waste, another holds sewage water and sludge, and a third portion is covered by silt deposits. Rescue teams have cut through concrete slabs to search the compartments and are currently rechecking them.
Heavy rain on Saturday caused fresh water to accumulate inside the tank, forcing the teams to perform de-watering operations before resuming the search. Accessing the chambers has also proven difficult, as rescue personnel have had to break through concrete slabs that are nearly 1.5 feet thick. Multiple openings have been cut across the structure to facilitate the operation.
Furthermore, rescue teams are facing hazardous conditions inside the STP. Oxygen levels inside the compartments have been measured below 19 percent, and teams must continuously monitor the air for poisonous gases, such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide, before personnel are allowed to descend.
The incident has raised concerns regarding the maintenance of the STP. Fire and emergency services personnel noted that silt in such plants is typically expected to be removed once every two years. A private company reportedly visited the plant and submitted a quotation for silt removal just a week prior to the incident. Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) officials were unavailable for comment.
