Satna (Madhya Pradesh): Lack of safety measures led to the death of a worker who was laying sewage line nearly two weeks ago, revealed inquiry reports.
A 40-year-old worker, Ram Khiladi Kushwaha, who was working in a 20-foot-deep ditch in the Maruti Nagar area, died after a heap of soil caved in.
Nearly two weeks have passed since the death occurred, but neither the contractor nor the officials of the civic body did anything to ensure safety of workers.
A company from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Invirad Projects Limited, is laying the 296-km-long sewage line and for setting up two sewage treatment plants (STPs) at a cost of Rs 119 crore on December 19, 2021.
The firm was told to complete the project by December 19 last year, but 131-km-long sewage line is yet to be laid.
Officials said that the work would be completed within five months, but nobody had any idea about the work of STPs to be constructed in Kripalpur and Nazirabad.
The company has deployed more than 12 contractors to complete the project for which 250 labourers are working.
Now, the work is going on in Tikuriya Tola colony, where the same kind of negligence, as was seen in the Maruti Nagar area, was observed.
A few people were seen working in 20-foot-deep ditches without any safety measures.
According to reports, it is the duty of Invirad Projects Limited, which is laying the sewage lines and its contractors who are carrying out the work, to ensure security of the workers.
There are no barricades, caution ribbons and radium plates at the sites. Nor have the workers been provided with helmets, shoes, safety belts and jackets.
Guilty to be punished: Commissioner
Commissioner of Satna Nagar Nigam Abhishek Gehlot said the company and its contractors had been directed to follow the safety norms.
The Nagar Nigam will strictly act against those who will not follow the instructions, Gehlot said.
(With inputs from Ravishankar Pathak)
