THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), in a statement issued on February 25, has urged the Telangana state government to intensify rescue operations on a war footing to save the eight trapped migrant workers in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel. CITU also demanded that the contractor be blacklisted for criminal negligence in failing to ensure workplace safety.

The incident of water, mud, and silt flooding the tunnel is not an unforeseen occurrence; such risks are typically anticipated, and preventive measures are usually taken well in advance. The fact that the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel near Domalapet village in Amrabad mandal was flooded with water, mud, and silt within just 30 minutes of the workers entering the tunnel highlights the contractor’s lack of proper tunnel engineering expertise and the Telangana government’s failure in supervision by its Irrigation and Public Works Department. This incident is a result of criminal negligence on the part of both the contractor and the government department, endangering the lives of migrant workers and causing immense distress to their families.

Moreover, since the workers involved in such hazardous conditions are interstate migrant labourers, ensuring workplace safety is the responsibility of the state labour department and the designated authorities under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 (ISMWA). This incident exposes the gross negligence of the state labour department and the labour ministry. The state government must conduct an inquiry to determine whether the workers were registered under the ISMWA. The agent who brought the workers and supplied them to the contractor, as well as the contractor/subcontractor involved, must be held accountable for non-compliance with the provisions of the statute. And, the union labour ministry must clarify whether the workers were covered under the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees' State Insurance (ESI) schemes and ensure statutory relief as per the relevant laws.

Given the recurring nature of such accidents in tunnel works involving migrant workers, the repeal of the ISMWA and the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970, and their dilution under the new Labour Codes will only allow contractors and employers to evade accountability, putting workers' lives at risk. CITU reiterates its demand to repeal the Labour Codes and ensure the effective implementation of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act and the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act.