Though the death of a mother-son duo as an under-construction reinforcement collapsed on them is a relatively rare accident at Namma Metro construction site affecting civilians, there have been numerous such incidents where workers have been killed. At least five workers were killed in such accidents from 2019 alone and the total is at least over 25, since the metro works began, sources said.
However, multiple unions involved with those working for Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) allege that safety standards at Namma Metro construction sites are often lax and there has been no stringent enforcement of safety regulations.
“There is lax enforcement and despite several complaints and past mishaps, BMRCL officials are not being held accountable. The top brass of BMRCL needs to be booked to ensure there is a culture of safety inculcated at the construction sites,” said Suryanarayana Murthy, Vice-President, Bangalore Metro Rail Employees’ Union. He also alleged that there was widespread collusion between contractors and officials and corruption leading to unsafe construction practices.
All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), which has intervened on behalf of contract labourers, mostly at the receiving end of accidents at Namma Metro construction sites, said there have been numerous accidents killing workers and little has changed. “Since these labourers can be fired anytime, they fear raising concerns over safety fearing job loss. All these issues are interconnected,” said Maitreyi Kirshnan from AICCTU. They have been calling for a safety audit of all Namma Metro construction sites at least from 2021, which hasn’t been carried out yet.
Moreover, BMRCL only imposes a penalty on contractors at whose work sites accidents occur, which unions now argue are not punitive enough. This comes amidst demands by the family of the deceased mother-son duo’s family to cancel the contract of the stretch. “The contractors get away with far too little after a mishap. We need to make it so costly for them, that they will ensure safety on the worksites,” Mr. Murthy argued.
Anjum Parvez, MD, BMRCL, said the corporation was enforcing safety precautions strictly. When quizzed on stringent penalties against contractors at whose worksites there are mishaps, Mr. Parvez said a action will be taken as per the contractual agreement.
