April 9, 2024
By Rashid Rolak
HYDERABAD
27-year-old Uzmi Masih and his 25-year-old cousin Amir Masih died after descending into a drain and inhaling poisonous fumes. The incident occurred at the Sindha Green pulses mill in Hyderabad’s SITE area on the morning of April 7.
“They were promised more money than usual and were told to come in on Sunday, an off-day. There were no arrangements for their safety, no masks or anything,” says Uzmi’s father, Robin Gosh. “When they fainted due to the gas, [the mill owners] made no arrangements to pull them out.”
Gosh adds that the youths remained in the drain for three to four hours with no efforts by anyone to rescue them if they were still alive.
“Both young men were fathers. Who will be their little children’s guardians?” Raju, a brother of the victims, demanded answers. “Work without any safety equipment should be outlawed, and an investigation must be launched against the mill owners. The children of the deceased should be compensated.”
Meanwhile, the families as well as neighbours of the victims are in mourning.
“Daily wagers do not have any security or support like government workers. By offering a little more money, desperate people go out to do dangerous jobs thinking they will bring something home for their children,” Gosh says. “But this time it was us bringing home their bodies.”
The deceased youth were unemployed for some time, and were taking up odd and unwanted work as labourers.
“Our youth are educated, they have degrees. They should be given jobs so that they are not forced into doing hazardous work that may take their lives,” Ravi Tamboli, a local community activist emphasizes.
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and other municipal bodies in Hyderabad have yet to issue safety gear and masks to sanitary workers. Experts say that if these institutions adopt modern methods and use machinery to clear drains, sanitary workers will face significantly fewer risks on the job.