The Hindu : SCCL workers panicky, management tight-lipped

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

SCCL workers panicky, management tight-lipped

By M. Rajeev

Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Members of the mine mishap victims' families trying to block the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu's convoy at Godavarikhani on Tuesday.

Godavarikhani (Karimnagar Dt.) June 17. The mine disaster, in which 17 workers are feared to have met with a watery grave in the mishap that occurred in the 7 Life Extension Project (LEP) underground mine of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited at the Godavarikhani yesterday, has shaken workers to the core.

A majority of them hold "human failure'' responsible to the disaster. The incident, the first of its kind in the recent history of the SCCL, has created a sort of fear psychosis among the workers who do not want to venture into the mines. "But for the wrong assessment of the mine and its potential by surveyors, an incident like this could not have taken place in the mine that is in operation for over a decade,'' majority of the workers say.

According to them, a section of the mine from where coal was extracted has not been filled properly resulting in accumulation of water at the top. The water found an outlet following failure of the partition, resulting in the death of 17 people who had no time to escape.

But what is surprising is the officials' perspective. When asked as to how the authorities could not notice accumulation of water in the section, Ramesh, General Manager of the 7 (LEP) mine, said that the official machinery was also surprised with the development as such an incident had never occurred before. "But when it comes to the quantity of water, it is nothing when compared to the dimensions of the mine,'' he said.

To put it in the words of the Chief General Manager (Safety) of the mine, P.P.R. Vittal, the gap between the roof and sand in the previously filled section could have given scope for accumulation of water. "And, the 3 metre partition somehow gave way, resulting in the mishap,'' he said in reply to repeated queries as to why the authorities could not notice water accumulation in the mine.

Senior officials declined comment taking the plea that the facts could be ascertained only after the dewatering of the mine had been completed. "It can be a result of various factors, including human failure. But it will take some time for the facts to come out,'' the SCCL CMD, R.H. Khwaja, told The Hindu.

Probe demanded

Our Hyderabad Special Correspondent adds:

The TDP demanded an inquiry into the mine disaster. In a statement, the party general secretary, M.A. Sharief, appealed to the Government and the SCCL management to extend all help to the next of the kin of the victims.

In a separate statement, the CPI leader, S. Sudhakar Reddy, squarely blamed the SCCL management.

Trade unions and other organisations squarely held the management responsible for the mishap.

The A.P. Council of AITUC said the failure of the management to take up adequate safety measures cost the lives of 17 miners. The State Council general secretary, P. Nageswara Rao, said in a press release that the water in the second seam was ignored and adequate precautions not taken in the revival of the old mine, which was closed for the last 15 years. It sought a judicial probe into the mishap and adequate compensation to the affected families.

The Congress Forum for Telangana (CFT) said that proper planning of the safety measures could have averted the mishap. The management was more concerned about profits than the welfare of the miners, said the Forum president, A. Indrakan Reddy, and the general secretary, G. Chinna Reddy, in a press note.

The Akhila Bharata Karmika Sanghala Samakhya State secretary, K. Chandraiah, said that the management was aware of the risks in operating the old mine and virtually forced the workers into it.

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