UDAIPUR | April 27, 2017: Mine lessees are openly violating safety norms in Udaipur region. Labourers, specially the tribal ones, are working in miserable conditions in the dangerous mines where fatal accidents have become a routine.
According to a rough estimate, some 150 accidental deaths have taken place in quarries situated in Rajsamand-Udaipur belt in past three years of which 100 cases were in Rajsamand alone. Despite clear cut provisions for safety equipment, labourers are forced to work at the mines without helmet, protective footwear, hand gloves and safety glasses.
In Rajsamand, some 2,000 big and small marble quarries are operational, however, only few follow the safety regulations.
"In Rishabdeo, an area known for green marble mines, due to excessive excavation many of the mines are reported to have gone 300 feet underground, while huge blocks which have not been removed from sideways pose high risk to the labourers working down," D S Paliwal, an activist says.
Mine lessees mint money out of the excavation work continued uninterrupted day and night but are least bothered on the clearance of the debris which results in the frequent collapse of massive blocks. There are around 100 odd green marble mines in the gram panchayat Odwas area at Rishabdeo where mining operations are held 24 hours. More than 4,000 tribal labourers are engaged in the mining activity who toil 24 hours. The workers live a dreaded life since they are paid very less but prone to high risk and dangers in the mines operating without any safety measures as per the government norms, sources claim.
The physical hazards in the marble industry arise from the mechanical, structural and processing plant failures, heavy machinery used for cutting and crushing especially unguarded machinery having exposed sharp edges or blades, manual handling of heavy slabs, hazardous chemicals used for polishing, excessive noise, dust particles, vibration, working on heights, electrical hazards, collisions during way in or way out of vehicles and equipment such as cranes and trucks to load the marble slabs.
"Though the mine lessee have to mandatorily follow the mining work as per the scientific excavation plan sanctioned by the department of mines, however, it is deliberately overlooked in most of the mines, hence giving rise to fatalities. The periodic inspections too are superficial thus putting the safety regulations at stake," says Shailesh Chordia, another activist.
"Mining plan is a pre-requisite to sanction of lease as per the Marble Development and Conservation Rules 2002 and each mining activity has to conducted in accordance to the plan which has to be renewed in every five years," says Anil Joshi, a senior advocate in Rajsamand. However, the provisions are seriously overlooked. Specific areas are marked for waste dumping, employee quarters, instalment of safety equipment etc but majority of the mines do not follow these provisions, Joshi claims. The law also provides for imprisonment up to 1 year for those who contravene the rules, but surprisingly, in cases of deaths of workers on duty due to machineries, no criminal case is lodged against the lease but the contractors who are responsible for the earth moving equipment.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)