Seven more poor labourers sacrificed at the altar of a mega-project
The Orange Train project which has turned parts of Lahore into a war zone has taken on an ominous crimson hue. As usual, it is the downtrodden and marginalised who bear the brunt of callousness, greed for quick bucks, and the corruption rampant in the glut of government departments supposedly looking after worker welfare. The unlucky seven were contract workers constructing a section of the grandiose project, but 250 were housed in an overcrowded building with a hazardous environment. The arrangement was of a primitive revolving door type, one lot worked while another slept in the same quarters. Gas cylinders were reportedly crammed in the rooms with the workers clothing, quilts and personal possessions. So when a fire erupted suddenly, the slumbering workers stood little chance when the flames overwhelmed them.
Seven dead, and 14 injured is reportedly the blood count for this tragedy. In May 2016, the worker casualty toll associated with the project was 7 dead and 4 injured, in July 2016, 4 killed and 4 injured, while another mishap claimed 4 dead by electrocution. The Orange Train project seems to be the Grim Reaper’s headquarters. And one must not forget the two incidents of fire in Gidani, in which the official death toll of 24 and 5 respectively, seems widely understated, especially for the November explosion. The causes were similar, a dangerous environment, apathy and voraciousness of employers, and the victims, again underpaid and overworked contract workers.
A case will of course be registered against the construction company, but everybody knows that little will come of it. It is primarily the state’s responsibility to provide and ensure adequate social protection to workers, but the employers also need to review their present uncaring business practices. The government needs to enforce the existing laws meant to reduce industrial hazards. The government departments which ensure compliance with these laws need to be properly monitored to ensure that bribe does not lead to neglect in their enforcement. For this the government needs to devise supervisory machinery.