Two Labourers Killed at BDA Underpass Construction Site in Bengaluru

Two labourers died following an accident at a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) underpass construction site in Bengaluru around 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday. The incident has once again highlighted safety violations at civic construction projects across the city, triggering calls for stricter safety guidelines and accountability for contractors and officials.

The work at the underpass site was being executed by PJB Engineers Pvt. Ltd., the appointed contractor for the turnkey project. In an official statement, the BDA explained that under a turnkey project contract, the private contractor is responsible for the complete execution of the project, including design, construction, and commissioning, before handing over a fully functional facility to the client.

Following the fatal accident, the BDA announced that it is providing ₹8 lakh in compensation to the families of each of the two deceased workers. The civic body also stated that injured workers are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital and that the BDA will cover all necessary medical expenses.

The incident drew sharp criticism from labour union representatives regarding safety standards and enforcement at civic worksites. Girish Tumakuru, state general secretary of the Karnataka State Construction and Quarry Labourers Federation, affiliated with AITUC, pointed out that while advanced technologies and heavy machinery exist for underpass construction, contractors continue to task manual labourers with performing work at sensitive portions of construction sites.

Tumakuru stated that contractors avoid using advanced technology to exploit cheap labour. He urged government officials from civic bodies and the Labour Department to ensure safety precautions are enforced, accusing officials of ignoring non-compliance. He stressed that the lack of stricter norms and standard operating procedures for contractors leads to repeated accidents, with accountability routinely ending once compensation is paid.

Highlighting the pattern of civic accidents, Tumakuru noted that two such worksite mishaps have occurred in Bengaluru within a span of two months, resulting in the deaths of nine labourers. He added that Bengaluru has ranked first among metropolitan cities for recording the highest number of deaths due to civic negligence over the past six years. He further stated that while deaths at civic construction sites are reported, many fatalities in industrial areas go unreported because migrant workers' families rarely speak out after receiving compensation.