Mumbai: Acid robs sanitation worker of his sight for two months

Apollo Spectra Hospitals in Tardeo

A 44-year-old man from Govandi, Mohammed Bashir, experienced partial vision loss after coming into contact with sulfuric acid while unblocking a pipeline at a house in a private society without adequate safety equipment in August. It took two months for Bashir, who also works in construction and cleans nullahs, to completely regain his eyesight.

He would have lost his vision completely had he not sought treatment in time, noted ophthalmologist Dr Nusrat Bukhari, who treated him at Apollo Spectra Hospitals in Tardeo. The cost of his treatment was taken care of by the house he had visited for work. "The moment I poured acid in the pipeline to unchoke it, there was a reaction and it went in my eyes," Bashir said. His last follow-up visit to the hospital was at the end of September.

Mohammed Bashir

"Due to the nature of work, he could not come for further follow-up visits so we were checking his symptoms over the phone as much as possible. It is only now that his condition has become stable," Dr Bukhari said. Bashir added that many workers like him end up doing the work without adequate safety equipment because they are unaffordable.

Ophthalmologist explains

Shedding light on the nature of his injuries, Dr Nusrat said the acid had affected Bashir's corneas. "The damage had already been done by the time he came to us and we were dealing with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) due to chemical burn. We had to put him on a heavy dosage of steroids, topical medicines and prophylactics to avoid complications," she said.

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Stem cells in the limbus (edge area of the eye) are crucial for renewing the corneal surface (clear window on the front of your eye) and maintaining the limbus' protective role. When these stem cells are lost, the corneal surface can't heal and regenerate properly. This leads to problems such as changes in the eye tissue, scarring and long-term inflammation. These issues can result in reduced vision clarity, potential vision loss, persistent discomfort, and sensitivity to light.

‘Employers are responsible'

"Any time workers are employed for sanitation-related work, it is the duty of the employer or contractors, in most cases, to ensure that they have adequate safety equipment," noted Shubham Kothari, a member of Jan Haq Sangharsh Samiti (JHSS).

He added that according to a survey conducted by JHSS in its limited capacity, there are roughly 2,000 sanitation workers in M East ward, most of whom are involved in the cleaning of nullahs and sewerage tanks of private societies without adequate safety mechanisms. This illegal practice is otherwise known as manual scavenging.

On October 16, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asked the office of the district magistrate, Mumbai Suburban, to submit a comprehensive report regarding manual scavenging in the M East ward. The move came after a local activist, Faiyaz Alam Sheikh, had complained to the NHRC regarding the same. "All sort of road or gully and nullah cleaning happens without adequate safety gears in the area," he said.

2,000
Approx no of sanitation workers in M East ward