The increase in industrial accidents, particularly in North Andhra and Andhra Pradesh, is causing economic devastation for many families, according to speakers at a State-level seminar on “Industrial accidents deaths – who is responsible?” The event, held at Alluri Vignana Kendram (AVK), highlighted the alleged indifference and negligence of both the government and industry managements in implementing preventive measures as the main reason behind the rise in accidents.
The speakers also expressed concerns about the concessions granted to industrialists under the banner of “Ease of Doing Business (EODB),” which they claimed contributed to the surge in accidents. They accused enforcement agencies such as the APPCB and Labor Department of being influenced by industry managements due to EODB, thereby failing to provide adequate supervision and adherence to safety guidelines.
The lack of emphasis on worker safety and the provision of safety equipment by managements was highlighted as a major issue. Instead, managements often viewed safety measures as an additional burden rather than recognizing the hard work of their employees. Disturbingly, Visakhapatnam district alone witnessed the deaths of 120 workers in 119 accidents over the past five years, with 20 fatalities and 18 permanent disabilities reported in 2022 alone.
The speakers referenced the styrene gas leak at LG Polymers in May 2020 as a glaring example of management negligence. Investigations into the incident revealed serious safety lapses, including the non-functioning of the siren and the plant’s failure to renew its license since 1986.
Similar accidents have occurred in other industrial areas, including Pharma City in Parawada, where 40 workers lost their lives and 152 were injured over the past decade. The seminar concluded with a call for collective action to hold accountable those responsible for the accidents and to urge managements and governments to prioritize worker safety.
The seminar was presided over by CITU district general secretary R.K.S.V. Kumar, and attended by various CITU State leaders and representatives from People’s Training and Research Centre and Gujarat.