CUTTACK: A worker engaged in construction of a drain was killed and another suffered critical injuries after the portion of a boundary wall collapsed on them at Bidanasi here on Sunday.
The deceased, S Sankar (32), was a resident of Patapola area. The critically-injured worker, Y Ijiya Rao (58) of the same locality, has been admitted to a private hospital.
Sources said the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is constructing a drain near Bidanasi square. The contractor tasked with the project had engaged five workers in the construction work. On the day, the workers were busy constructing the drain when the boundary wall of an adjacent residential house collapsed on them.
Sankar and Rao got trapped under the debris. By the time local residents removed the debris, Sankar had already died. Rao was rescued in a critical condition and rushed to the nearby hospital.
Locals alleged that they had warned the contractor executing the drain project about the weak and unsafe boundary wall. They had even urged him to take necessary precautionary measures to avoid any mishap. However, he did not pay heed to their warning and went ahead with the construction work without safety measures.
“Despite the warning, the contractor did not ensure proper safety measures and engaged the workers in construction of the drain, thereby risking their lives. The engineers of CMC also did not inspect the site and supervise the drain construction work,” claimed the locals. They demanded stringent action against the contractor and the engineer besides adequate compensation to the family of the deceased.
While efforts to elicit response from CMC commissioner Anam Charan Patra proved futile, mayor Subhas Singh said a thorough inquiry would be conducted to check whether any lapse caused the mishap. Necessary action would be initiated accordingly.