Monorail contractor slapped with negligence

Larsen and Toubro booked for negligence after two workers who weren't given a safety harness, died at monorail construction site; MMRDA says trial run scheduled on the route will go as planned

Monorail contractor slapped with negligence

Larsen and Toubro booked for negligence after two workers who weren't given a safety harness, died at monorail construction site; MMRDA says trial run scheduled on the route will go as planned

After two workers died at the Chembur-Wadala monorail construction site in Jijamata Nagar on Friday, the police have registered a case of negligence against contractors Larsen & Toubro, while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) announced on Saturday that an independent inquiry committee would investigate the matter.

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The 80-tonne beam that fell on the monorail workers

However, the development authority's plans to hold a trial run of the monorail in November will continue as planned, said a spokesperson.

The MMRDA has scheduled a trial run in the Chembur-Wadala stretch in November 2011. After Friday's incident at Jijamata Nagar (which falls on the route), questions were raised whether the deadline for the dummy run would be extended and construction would be stopped.
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"The accident won't delay the trial run, as it would happen on a short 300-400 m stretch of the route, which will not include the Jijamata Nagar section," an MMRDA spokesperson clarified to Sunday MiD DAY.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case against construction and engineering company L&T.

Speaking to Sunday MiD DAY, senior Police Inspector Shirish Shelke from RCF police station said, "A case of negligence under section 304A (death by negligence) has been registered against the contractor L&T.

We have not arrested anyone till now, but after investigation, action will be taken against those responsible for the accident."

The MMRDA on Saturday announced that an independent inquiry committee will investigate the matter.

MMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said, "The preliminary cause of the accident seems to be failure of the support system that caused failing of the left beam on the ground and toppling of the adjacent beam."

The body also directed L&T to carry out a safety audit. The report will be available in three days.

"At present we have not decided who will be in the committee but we will soon appoint the experts to investigate the matter properly and the report will be made public," said Bhide.

Workers at the site complained that the contractor had not provided them a safety harness. "We were given hats and shoes but most of the time, those working on the piers were not provided a safety harness," said a worker at the site, who did not wish to reveal his name.

When informed about this Bhide said, "MMRDA has instructed the contractors that safety measures should not be compromised. If such things are happening then we will enquire and appropriate action will be taken."

On Friday, Baldev Singh (45) and Dinesh Kumar (22) died on while Joga Singh, Sunil Kumar and Gautam Kumar were injured, after an 8,000 kg iron beam that was being hoisted by a crane fell on them.