Digital Desk |
Ahmedabad, Nov 5 (IANS) The contractor responsible for work at the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) under-construction sewage treatment plant (STP) in Sola will provide compensation of Rs 30 lakh each to the families of the two workers who died in an accident last month and bear the entire cost of their children’s education.
The decision was announced by AMC Standing Committee Chairman Kamlesh Patel after the civic body’s weekly committee meeting on Thursday.
He said the contractor had also agreed to take responsibility for the education of the young children in both families.
The announcement comes as the police investigation into the October 26 accident continues, with questions remaining over the safety arrangements at the construction site and the circumstances that led to the deaths.
“The preliminary investigation indicated that the contractor was responsible for the work until its completion,” he said.
However, the investigation would establish whether adequate safety equipment had been provided to the workers and whether it had been used properly while carrying out the work.
The AMC has separately issued a notice to the contractor, M/s HNB Engineers Pvt Ltd, seeking payment of a penalty of Rs 50 lakh for negligence.
The accident took place at the corporation’s 30-million-litres-per-day (MLD) STP in Sola when four men fell into a pump house sump during work at the under-construction facility.
According to preliminary information, a welder fell into the sump while carrying out work, following which three others entered in an attempt to rescue him.
Two workers, identified as Abhishek, 28, and Manoj, 40, died, while the other two were rescued and admitted to Sola Civil Hospital.
They were reported to be in stable condition. Fire and emergency services personnel from Thaltej and Bodakdev rushed to the site after receiving an emergency call through the 112 helpline.
Firefighters used oxygen breathing apparatus to carry out the rescue operation, which took around 30 to 45 minutes.
The exact circumstances leading to the accident and the cause of the deaths remain subject to investigation.
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