The recent fire incidents at various industrial units across Haryana have exposed the lack of adequate safety measures and lacunae in the disaster-control mechanisms.
Two fire incidents took place in the Bawal and Dharuhera industrial areas of Rewari district on a single day — May 19.
Three workers lost their lives in an industrial fire tragedy at a chemical factory in Bawal, while several sustained injuries in a fire incident at an electric scooter manufacturing unit in Dharuhera.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had to be called in to control the factory fire and lead the rescue and relief operations at Bawal.
The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has also sought reports from the Rewari Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, Assistant Director (Industrial Safety and Health), Assistant Labour Commissioner and Fire Safety Officer regarding the aforesaid cases of industrial fires in the district.
In March this year, as many as 10 women workers were burnt to death and several others were injured in a factory fire at Safidon in Jind district.
The industrial unit — which allegedly made firecrackers — is said to have been operating illegally in a residential area. Eighteen labourers, all of them women, were employed there. As per an association of industrial workers, there were no fire extinguishers, windows or emergency exits at the warehouse-like unit.
“The iron gates at the entrance of the warehouse/factory were locked from both inside and outside, due to which the women workers could not escape promptly. Four women who happened to be near the stairs climbed up to the roof and jumped down outside. They survived but sustained fractures in their legs. Residents broke through the warehouse wall to create an opening, through which they entered the building and pulled out the other women workers. Four women labourers died on the spot, while six others succumbed to their injuries later,” states a report prepared by the Haryana State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
The report points out that several other incidents of factory fires, explosions and other industrial mishaps have taken place in different parts of the state in the recent past.
Prior to that, a massive fire followed by explosions erupted at a lubricant and steel unit in Faridabad in February. Six persons, including two firefighters and a police official, were killed, while 42 persons, including three police personnel, were injured in the incident.
“A series of factory fires and other industrial accidents have recently taken place in Haryana, leading to a number of fatalities. These mishaps have resulted from the failure of the state government and the apathetic approach of the authorities concerned,” laments Jai Bhagwan, general secretary, CITU (Haryana).
He said the Industrial Safety and Health Department, which bore the responsibility for inspecting safety measures at the industrial units, lacked adequate staff for monitoring and inspection.
“The government has now effectively dismantled the entire monitoring mechanism by amending the existing laws. Hence, the industrial workers and employees have been left to perish, while the industrialists are being encouraged to maximise profits in the name of ‘ease of doing business’ and the four new labour codes,” said the trade union leader.
CITU and the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, have demanded the provision of requisite safety measures at industrial units, prompt and adequate compensation to the family members of the victims of industrial mishaps, and strict legal action against the owners/management of companies responsible for such criminal negligence.
They have also demanded the conferment of ‘martyr’ status on the firefighters and police personnel killed while trying to extinguish the fire and save trapped persons.
