Could Poor Sewage Maintenance Be Putting You at Risk? A Shocking Case…

20-Year-Old Student Suffers Severe Burns; Methane Gas Buildup Suspected in Bathroom Blast.

New Delhi: A startling incident was reported in Sector-36 of Greater Noida, where a 20-year-old student received severe burn injuries after a toilet seat exploded in his house. The explosion was said to have taken place due to a suspected methane gas accumulation, which caught fire when the flush of the toilet was pressed.

The wounded boy, Ashu Nagar, lives with his family in House No. C-364 of Sector-36. The incident happened on Saturday afternoon when Ashu had proceeded to use the western toilet, his father, Sunil Pradhan, said. Shortly after he pushed the flush button, the seat burst, and fire burst out from the toilet bowl.

The flames resulted in the severe burning of Ashu’s face, hands, legs, and other parts of the body. Ashu was quickly taken to JIMS Hospital for treatment. Doctors have said that Ashu will need a long recovery process since the burn on his face and hands has gone very deep. The skin on his face and hands has suffered major damage from the blaze.

The explosion could have been triggered by the accumulation of methane gas in the sewer system, which ignited perhaps from an electric shock or contact with a switch. Professor Sameer Kumar Singh from the Civil Engineering Department of ITS College explained that methane is an extremely combustible gas that accumulates in inadequately ventilated sewer systems. If the gas is not able to release itself, it can build up and have a means of escape, i.e., a bathroom, where it could ignite under ideal circumstances.

Local citizens and civic activists have also complained about the poor sewage system in Greater Noida. Harendra Bhati, a sector’s active citizen team member, said that the sewerage system in the sector is totally choked. He pointed out that previously, vent pipes were being fitted to let gases such as methane escape into the air safely. But now, such systems are not being used, and gas is building up within houses.

He also stated that a large sewer line close to the P-3 roundabout has been ruptured for more than 18 months, although several complaints had been made to the Greater Noida Authority. The reason for not getting it repaired is that it has led to recurrent blockages and raised the chances of dangerous gas accumulation.

Sunil Pradhan said a sewer pipe passes by their house and has been clogged for years. He feels this clogging resulted in the methane build-up. Also, an exhaust from a window air conditioning unit has been fixed between the bathroom and kitchen shaft, adding to the issue of ventilation.

This is not a new incident of this kind in Noida. Two youths lost their lives on July 25, 2021, as a result of inhaling toxic gas while they were picking up a ball from a sewer tank in Sector 5. In like manner, on October 16, 2021, a laborer, Prajul Ranjan Raut, lost his life while sewer cleaners were being operated in Sector 60 by inhaling poisonous gases.

The recent blast has again pointed to the urgent necessity of good sewer maintenance and gas ventilation systems in city homes in order to avert such life-taking accidents.

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