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HC gets respite for labours from scorching heat in Hyderabad
Following the High Court directive, the District Medical and Health office has issued instructions to building contractors in the twin cities to halt their works between 12 noon to 2 pm In the initial findings of the district officials, it was found that a total of 2,882 labourers and construction workers died over the past two years and the highest number of deaths occurred during summer.
Hyderabad: Following the High Court directive, the District Medical and Health office has issued instructions to building contractors in the twin cities to halt their works between 12 noon to 2 pm In the initial findings of the district officials, it was found that a total of 2,882 labourers and construction workers died over the past two years and the highest number of deaths occurred during summer.
Health Officer P Venkateshwar Rao admitted that lack of precautionary measures by the building contactors during summer causes death of many workers here. "The construction industry in Hyderabad district is very large and thousands of labourers here are now under threat of sunstroke,” he said.
The data on labour and construction workers of the state says that 2,639 natural deaths and death due to sickness occurred since June 2014. “The deaths of the labour during summer in Hyderabad is always high,” the official clarified. Venkateshwar said that as a part of the action plan for summer, field level medical workers in various health centres of district were imparted training and required medicines.
Apart from these, ORS packets were circulated in all centres. “Mobile vans could also be put on duty especially near to construction sites to increase awareness among workers about preventive steps to beat the heat,” he said. He said that they have identified 75,327 construction workers in the city and several amenities have been arranged at the health centres accordingly.
The HC has recently directed both the Telugu speaking states to ban works in farms, construction and infrastructure projects between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during intense summer and instructed concerned officials to take stringent action against erring contractors. However, the Telangana Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board which actually looks after the welfare of construction workers has prepared no action plan so far.
Assistant Commissioner of Labour S J Prasada Rao said that they have no policy for the safeguard of workers affected by sunstroke. “We provide ten different welfare schemes to construction workers, which does not include workers affected by sunstroke,” he said.
