Having got a providential escape from an impending worst harm due to a portion of an under construction bridge over River Devika in Kaulpur caving in, as many as 27 labourers have been injured, some of them seriously. Curiously, the bridge is constructed by a well known professional construction agency-the Border Roads Organisation- (BRO). While the work of casting of slab over the bridge almost having been finished, presumably, the weak and flawed shuttering support unable to bear the load collapsed and 27 out of the total 40 labourers fell down and got injured. It is evident that safety and technical parameters having been either compromised or taken just casually caused this accident. It is also due to the fact that there is no autonomous but high powered authority to conduct surprise safety and security checks and inspections on actual sites of construction of various projects. If there is one , seemingly it is not generally seen or found doing the essential job . In the instant case, since the debris was substantial, various agencies, however, reportedly got into rescue operations and it can be admitted with no two opinions that timely rescue operations succeeded in saving many precious lives . The impact of the collapsing of the slab material and shuttering etc, however, led to many labourers sustaining grievous injuries too , therefore, for specialised treatment were promptly referred to GMC Jammu . That is a matter of great relief. However, how could such a compromise with the basics of giving support to the slab casting, take place and where were the glaring technical errors committed, the enquiry committee headed by ADC Samba will definitely throw light in its finding . That apart, handling of projects of such nature or now, of late, construction of multi storied buildings in and around the city , even outskirts, it is mandatory to have the ongoing works undergo routine and recurring scrutiny and checking especially in matters of sufficient safety measures for the workers engaged in the particular project. Conducting safety audits and addressing potential risks are too important to be ignored. We watch in such ongoing works , labourers not provided with helmets, nor provided with any personal protective equipment , not to speak of having undergone site-specific induction training. Whether sufficient First Aid measures were in place at the construction site too is not known. These measures are no luxuries but basics, primarily to provide safety and protection to workers both technical, non technical as well as importantly to manual labourers. We trust the BRO will bear all the expenses of the treatment of the injured labourers whom we wish a speedy recove
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