Citizen's Forum email to administration 2012-11-26

To: Director, IIT Kanpur
CC: Alumni Association BOD, Chairman Board of Governors, DRPG
Subject: Another Death on Campus, Appeal from Alumni
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:06:32 +0000

Dear Director Manna,

We have learned of yet another work-related death on IITK campus. We could have simply expressed our shock at this incident but that would no longer be an appropriate response. Matters have gone beyond that stage, since at our alma mater it has become too frequent an occurrence and which is only possible because of callous disregard for workers’ lives, so the proper expression on our part is that of moral outrage.  About a month ago, before you assumed your position as Director, after the death of Mr. Attar Singh, we had written to IITK administration with sincere hope that they will take urgent steps in terms of safety so as to avoid any more deaths. Yet deaths from construction accident continue. The indifference, which IITK administration has shown towards the unsafe working conditions of work for the construction workers is now proven.

For us, as alumni it is no longer simply embarrassing, it is outrageous disregard of human life in our Alma Mater. We can’t shrug it away. We expect better from our alma mater and we demand a radical change under you leadership. Based on preliminary report, which we have received, this accidental death could have been easily avoided if proper safety procedures would have been in place. One does not need to have the knowledge of a rocket scientist to implement safety procedures; e.g. one foot on ledge of balcony to throw the debris six floors down is absolutely not safe, perhaps drop chutes may have been an alternative. What happened at the site in terms of disposal of debris was in clear violation of rules as stated in  ‘BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKERS' ( REGULATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE) CENTRAL RULES, 1998’ and quoted below:

(a) debris are handled and disposed of by a method which does not cause danger to the safety of a person;

(b) debris are not allowed to accumulate so as to constitute a hazard;

(c) debris are kept sufficiently moist to bring down the dust within the permissible limit;

(d) debris are not thrown inside or outside from any height of such building or other construction work;

.......

It would seem neither the contractor nor the IWD supervisor are cognizant of these rules. This in our opinion is inexcusable and punishable.

IITK has developed safety procedures in the past. A group of alumni engaged in construction industry helped prepare a practical document based on the learning from previous accidents at IITK, safety laws, and common practices followed in private sector. This report was sent to the administration late last year. We do not need any more safety guideline reports. We just need to implement those procedures and delinquent contractors must have to pay fines and also lose the contract.

We are asking ourselves as to how many more deaths have to occur before there is a real change? We also wonder what is it doing to IITK’s reputation. What will the prospective employers think of the students trained at an Institute, which could not even implement basic safety practices on construction sites at its own campus?

We urge you to order immediately an independent enquiry into two recent deaths and safety practices in general. We do not wish to see another pathetic one-man inquiry report like last year by a retired CPWD official. This was not at all worthy of our Institution. The enquiry should be by a multi-member committee with different expertise to take an in-depth look into this matter. Furthermore, under your leadership we ask you to

-          Ensure that the family of Mr. Ram Saran Rai receives full legally mandated compensation and that they receive all assistance which they may require in this difficult time. We have also learned that the contractor has paid less than legal compensation to the family of  Mr. Atar Singh who died on October 18, 2012. Please ensure that Mr. Atar Singh’s family receive full legal compensation. Unless contractors are made to pay full legal compensation to the victims of their unsafe work conditions, they will not care to make workplace safe. 

-          Take immediate disciplinary action against IWD officials who failed to enforce safety laws and did not provide adequate supervision at worksites.

-          Ensure that all reports (in entirety) related to all work-related deaths be made public without any censorship

-          Ensure that various safety related reports and their recommendations be made public

-          That the Institute disclose all information regarding inter-state migrant labour working on campus and ensure that provisions required by law for such workers are fully implemented

-          That the payment of full due wages (along with all due to back-wages, including overtime) be made in Minimum Wage Monitoring Office for all construction site workers including group of migrant workers to which Mr. Ram Saran Rai belonged

-          That the Institute declare what punitive measures has it taken against the guilty contractors and officials in the last five years.

We look forward to hearing from you and please let us know if we can be of any assistance in remedying this intolerable situation at our alma mater.

With sincere regards

Sushil Handa (Batch of 66)
On behalf of Citizens’ Forum of IITK alumni

c.c. Alumni Association BOD
Chairman, Board of Governors,
DRPG