Two days after cholera deaths, Sobha gets labour dept notice

The cholera deaths at a construction site have exposed the pathetic conditions under which labourers work in the city.

Two labourers died after drinking contaminated water at the Sobha Dream Acres site in Varthur on Saturday.

Labour officials visited the spot on Monday and issued a notice to the builders.

There was little they could inspect: the sheds had been sterilised by the health department soon after the tragedy was reported.

Additional labour commissioner H L Guruprasad said, "We found workers living in unhygienic conditions."

"We haven't spoken to the workers yet. We have to check what amenities the builder was providing the workers, and find out why the water was contaminated," he told DH.

Compensation?

The labourers will get compensation only if they are registered with the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Guruprasad said. If they are, their families are eligible for up to Rs 2 lakh each.

"If they are not registered, compensation will be paid according to the Workmen's Compensation Act," he said.

S Narasimhan, senior general manager, Sobha Developers, said the company had already compensated the bereaved families.

The deaths were caused by cholera, St John's Hospital has confirmed. A lab is testing water samples from the site, and the results are awaited.

DH found a tanker from Harikrishna Water Supply at the site on Monday. A worker said the service had been supplying water for three years.

Some workers buy bottled water to drink, while others drink water delivered by tankers into a sump, he said.

Dr Chandrashekhar, taluk health officer, said health camps had been set up at the site. Some workers are being examined for diarrhea, he said.

BoX

Battling for life

Labourer Kanhaiya Das, admitted to St Philomena's Hospital, is critical. Ten other workers have been admitted to St John's Hospital.

BoX

What happened?

Srikant Sahu (20) and Bandu Naik (57) died on Saturday after drinking contaminated water at a construction site on Panathur Road, Varthur.

The police have filed an FIR against the labour contractor, Biswaranjan Behar, and Sobha Dream Acres general manager, Pown.

About 3,000 labourers routinely drink water delivered in water tankers. It is not potable, but is still used in the three kitchens for workers, according to the FIR.

The workers are mostly from Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Assam. They are cramped in makeshift sheds, with 15 living in each shed with bunk beds.

BoX

Workers' woes

* Filthy living sheds

* Dirty toilets

* No purified water