Karimnagar: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is coming under severe criticism for not altering the shift timings of its employees despite scorching heat in the coal belt in the past few days.
Leaders of trade unions said that employees should not be engaged in extraction of coal underground and in open cast mines in the afternoon as such work sites record higher temperature than on the surface of earth.
They said that the health of coal miners and other staff gets affected due to the searing heat. At present, excavation of coal is being taken up in open cast mining projects (OCP) and underground mines in two shifts: from 7 am to 3 pm and 3 pm to 11 pm.
Ramagundam town located in the coal belt has been recording around 450C since the first week of April. Mercury levels are likely to cross 500C in May, according to the Meteorological Department.
Hind Mazdoor Sabha general-secretary Riyaz Ahmed said that quarrying of coal in mines, particular open cast projects, should be stopped from 12 to 4 pm, given the soaring mercury levels.
“Temperature inside of OCPs is at least five degrees Celsius higher than that recorded outside. Machines used to extract ore generate heat. Consequently, workers of these projects are facing problems,” he said.
Several leaders belonging to trade unions such as AITUC and INTUC also expressed similar views when speaking to this newspaper. It is learnt that most of the OCPs are registering over 500 C, but officials are not disclosing this.
As per labour laws, management of coal mines should stop work if the temperature crosses 500C. When contacted, Ramagundam Area-I general manager K. V. Ramana Murthy said that they would alter the timings only after receiving representations from trade unions.
S. Vijaypal, general manager of RG-II said that equipment used for mining coal is air conditioned. Sachets of buttermilk and oral rehydration salts are being distributed to employees, he said.
