Death traps of development pits should not be repeated

A middle-aged man named Elath Moosa from Vilyappally, Vadakarawho had gone out to buy items for home last Sunday evening, did not return home. After a wide search, he was found dead late at night in a gap near a culvert that was halfway through construction. The fibre barrel placed there by the authorities in place of a safety fence had collapsed and was found beside him. As the Kerala High Court’ put it, tragedies that occur due to the lack of adequate safety precautions are not merely accidents, but they are murders. However, will a case of wilful murder be registered in this incident? Will the authorities take action against the construction company that violated safety standards, or against the officials who showed negligence? Will the impoverished family of the deceased receive adequate compensation?

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The fact that a fibre barrel, which replaced the security wall, could not save that man’s life is a grave failure of our systems. In the name of development, such “systematic murders” without any criminal charges are repeated across the state. They get buried in oblivion without causing any disturbance to the conscience of either the government or the public. The figures released by the Kerala Crime Records Bureau bring these buried and brutal truths to light. The number of road accidents and injuries is increasing at an alarming rate with each passing year.

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Now, deaths caused by safety lapses in road renovation activities are as frightening as accidents caused by speeding and negligence. Safety precautions in national highway construction are minimal in many places. In the last two years alone, more than a hundred deaths have been reported in connection with the road construction sector. Sixty percent of these victims are two-wheeler riders. Many such accidents occur at night, due to the lack of adequate safety reflectors or lighting. Potholes without direction signs, construction sites without adequate lighting, and the unscientific construction of drains have all become killing grounds that push innocent people to their deaths. A few weeks ago, a housewife died after falling into a drain in Kozhikode city, in yet another case of the same negligence.

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The biggest construction activities taking place in Kerala today are the development of national highways and urban renewal projects. While it is true that these are essential for the growth of the country, they should not be carried out by trampling on the fundamental rights of citizens. Who is responsible for the traffic jams that last for hours because proper alternative routes are not prepared at many locations where national highway construction is underway, and construction activities are not regulated during peak hours? Why can't the government prevent office-goers, schoolchildren, and especially patients in need of emergency treatment from suffocating in this chaos? Excessive dust from construction sites is creating serious health problems. Roadside traders and residents are suffering from respiratory illnesses. No basic safety standards are being followed during construction. Those who are responsible for ensuring safety are instead serving the interests of construction tycoons. In addition to this, construction delays are caused by a lack of coordination between government departments and the stubborn attitude of the authorities. The government must open its eyes and recognise that travelling on national highways under construction during this holiday season has become extremely difficult.

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It is high time that the government issues strict orders for safety audits at construction sites. Development should serve the growth and well-being of people, especially the common man. It should not be carried out by eliminating them. The safety of the common man must be the priority whenever road construction is planned. Real progress can be achieved only when safety is ensured alongside the speed of development. The government should urgently put pressure on builders to adopt proper supervision and modern construction methods. This must be done before more citizens lose their lives.