The University of Hyderabad (UoH) administration has decided to constitute a committee by March 3 to investigate into the circumstances that led to the collapse of an under-construction portico injuring 11 workers on the campus late Thursday evening. Following the incident, the students of the varsity have been on a protest demanding accountability from the administration and compensation to the injured workers.
On Friday, the central university also decided to conduct a safety audit of the building under construction and submit a report at the earliest; the specific terms of reference will be finalised by Saturday. “The committee will also review the quality and safety of all other buildings that are under construction on the campus and take necessary action to avoid such unfortunate incidents on the campus,” a statement from the UoH said.
Registrar Devesh Nigam said the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been asked to immediately submit a detailed report on the incident and the corrective and preventive measures to be undertaken by them at all the construction sites on the campus. The CPWD has been asked to ensure that proper medical care is extended to the injured workers and the medical expenditure is borne by the contractor or agency as per the Memorandum of Understanding. The varsity administration has asked CPWD to provide suitable compensation to the injured workers as per the extant labour laws. And, also, to ensure safety measures for all the buildings under construction on the campus and the welfare of the construction workers, besides reporting about the action to be taken against the contractor.
On the night of February 27, a temporary support structure of the portico of an under-construction building had collapsed, injuring eleven construction workers. The university administration said it immediately alerted the police, fire brigade, NDRF team and CPWD officials who are in charge of the construction. Ambulances, JCBs and cranes were pressed into service to undertake the rescue operations, it added. “Fortunately, there have been no casualties. Two of the injured workers received first aid at the University Health Centre and the remaining nine were rushed to a nearby corporate hospital. Nine of them were discharged after treatment. Under the direct supervision of the NDRF team, the excavators removed the debris and cleared the area, and fortunately it was found that no worker was trapped in the rubble,” the varsity administration said.
Earlier, CPWD officials maintained that an accidental contact between the boom pump, used for transferring liquid concrete onto the slab, and the scaffolding resulted in the collapse of a temporary support structure for the portico. Manas Kumar Dey, executive engineer, CPWD, told indianexpress.com that a major casualty was averted as the workers had necessary safety gear, including harness, boots and helmets.
“Fortunately, no one was severely hurt and all eight workers sustained only minor injuries, including a worker who was trapped under debris. All injured workers were given first aid and those hospitalised have been discharged already. They are being taken care of by the agency concerned,” he said.
“We are making sure that whatever compensation is due to them is paid and everyone is taken care of. The police are investigating the matter,” Dey added.
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Besides compensation to the injured workers and setting up of an autonomous inquiry committee, the students union of the UoH had demanded that university officials be included in the FIR.
“We demand the resignation of the registrar and deputy registrar for their negligence. We want all ongoing construction to be halted and an autonomous inquiry to be ordered where the Students Union is also involved,” Akash Kumar, Vice-President, UoH Students Union, had said.
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