BENGALURU: A contract labourer, Umesh (29), working at the waste-to-energy plant in Bidadi, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.
Five workers sustained grievous injuries on Saturday in the incident, which was initially reported as a boiler blast. The workers are identified as Amlesh (31), Umesh, Santun (31), Tarun (29) and Lakhan (28). According to initial police reports, the incident occurred around 4.30 am, when the workers tried to repair the energy generating machine that had stopped functioning. The injured were rushed to Victoria Hospital, where Umesh died on Tuesday. The police registered a case of negligence against the manager.
A senior official from Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), seeking anonymity, said, “We have stopped power generation from Monday. The workers are also not working. We aim to start generation from Thursday.”
As per contract with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, segregated, good quality dry waste should be sent to the unit for power generation. Operations to supply power had started. “However over time pins and other metal pieces seem to have started entering the unit and clogging the outlet. When the power generation unit faced technical issues, the workers decided to check it. When they opened it to clean, there was a blast of ash, injuring them. We were not prepared for such circumstances and issues,” he said.
Energy Minister KJ George on Tuesday ordered an immediate technical investigation. Visiting the unit, he said, “The issue is technical and a decision will be taken once the investigation is complete.”
He said preliminary reports indicate that the pipe carrying the ash was blocked and workers opened it without taking necessary safety precautions. He promised compensation to the family of the deceased and for the treatment of the injured.
He said the unit is being operated and maintained by ISGEC Heavy Engineering Ltd, Noida in collaboration with Hitachi Zosen India. ISGEC is responsible for the construction, while Hitachi Zosen India provides technical expertise.