- We all know the adage describing the definition of insanity. The definition of insanity is doing the same things repeatedly but expecting different results. The time-tested adage hasn’t changed and the way the administration/governance in India keeps repeating mistakes, the moniker of insanity could be firmly placed on our administrators without an iota of doubt. The safety aspect at every turn in the Indian context is one of the most neglected areas that has consistently failed to grab the attention of the administrators. As it is, most Indians are known to pay scant regard to the safety aspect vis-à-vis some of the most used amenities like electricity, water, roads, driving, and the ilk. The casual attitude associated with these issues has been in the news forever.
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- What could be the reasons? Sheer lack of awareness, absence of presence of mind, insensitivity, ignorance, and general disregard for safety adherence have resulted in umpteen avoidable accidents/incidents over the years. The resultant loss of innocent lives instantly prompts the administration to resort to a knee-jerk reaction. The usual statements from the local authorities ensure condemning the sad accident, tall claims of strong action are promised, compensation to the family is disbursed, a committee to inquire is set up, and after some days, everything is pushed to the back burner. Of course, the court takes cognizance of the incident and issues notices to the authorities to respond appropriately. This is repeated time and again. We have seen it all.
- Of late, the country has witnessed a slew of fire accidents. The nation’s capital city witnessed yet another fire incident underlining that no lessons are being learnt. In other words, whatever regulations are in place is up in smoke. The latest fire incident was at a food processing unit in Narela that left three workers dead. The seemingly endless chain of such tragedies underlines the callousness with which worker safety is treated in India. Statistics also stress that no lessons are learned from such incidents as fires have been reported from as many as 194 factories in the capital alone in the first five months of this year. Unfortunately, such incidents occur even in the more industrialized western and southern parts of the country, with a larger organized sector.
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- Recollect how in May, a boiler explosion at a chemical unit in Maharashtra’s Thane district killed 8 workers. In Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district, fire incidents in fireworks units killed 8 workers in May and 10 in Feb. Often, it is migrant workers who end up as victims of such horrific and completely avoidable accidents. With agriculture an unrewarding proposition, millions are migrating to cities and towns in search of jobs. But they often find themselves working long hours in inhumane and unsafe conditions, as has been reported by Narela. Factory owners flout rules and cut corners with impunity. Because regulators turn a blind eye rather than regulate the conditions under which labor works in factories and other enterprises very strictly. Proper implementation must be ensured, and this is the key to stopping the recurrence of fire accidents.
