CUTTACK: A 28-year-old labourer engaged in bridge construction work is feared drowned after falling into Chitroptala river under Nischintakoili block on Monday noon.
While body of the youth Ganeswar Pradhan of Alunata village under Mahanga police limits is yet to be traced, he is suspected to have suffered sunstroke due to working in intense heat and sweltering conditions.
According to sources, the bridge over Chitroptala river connecting Kolanpur to Janardanpur is being constructed by the Rural Development department through an agency Naraindas Construction Pvt Ltd.
Ganeswar was engaged in casting concrete for pillar erection when he allegedly suffered head reeling due to the sweltering heat and lost balance. He fell into the river and was swept away by the current, they said.
On being informed, fire services personnel from both Salepur and Nischintakoili fire stations rushed to the spot and launched a search operation but he was yet to be traced till reports last came in.
Meanwhile, his family members alleged negligence by both the construction company and the Rural Development department. “Despite government guidelines, the agency concerned engaged my brother in casting concrete during peak heat hours at 12 noon.
There were also no safety measures in place at the construction site. It is due to the lack of proper supervision by the Rural Development department that the agency carried out the construction work without following any guidelines,” alleged Ganeswar’s sister who was present during the search operation.
Superintending engineer, Rural Development division, Cuttack-1 Sudhakar Nayak could not be reached for his comments.