CHENNAI: An air of uneasiness has enveloped the usually-vibrant MSN Mahal Hall at Kannigaipair in Tiruvallur, as nearly 140 migrant workers from Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam shifted to the facility from the dormitories of St Peter & Paul Sea Foods Exports Private Limited. They are here since Sunday when the ammonia leak at the export firm claimed the lives of nine migrant workers—till Tuesday night—while dozens are still hospitalised across the Chennai region.
With their relatives, friends and co-workers admitted to government as well as private hospitals, these anxious workers gather around mobile phones, waiting for updates from the intensive care units, hoping to hear they are still alive. Many are first-generation tribal migrant workers from remote farming communities, limited mobile network coverage, education and livelihood opportunities.
Most workers who arrived at the plant had travelled 1,500–3,000 km in search of employment, through their siblings, relatives, neighbours or labour agents from the same villages, often following someone they already knew. Among them is
H Sundari (21) from Jharkhand who lost her parents young. She came to the plant with three cousins, two of whom are undergoing treatment following the unit leakage.
Sundari has been working at the factory since November 2024 as a fish cleaner and earns around Rs 14,000 a month. “When the ammonia leak happened I noticed people suddenly rushing outside and could smell something unusual.
When I stepped out, I saw the commotion and ran along with the others. I want to return home only after my sisters recover,” she said. S Monika Juang (20) from the Juang tribal community in Odisha’s Kendujhar district, landed here just four weeks ago with her cousin Thepanjali (19), currently undergoing treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). Monika studied till Class 10 and is the lone breadwinner of her family, leaving behind her mother and two school going sisters.
“I had breakfast and was standing near the hostel when the leak occurred. Soon, a strong smell spread and many of us felt uncomfortable. I lost consciousness and regained it after receiving medical attention,” she recalled.
Anjali (19), the eldest among four siblings from Odisha, came to the plant first and two months later, brought her fiancé P Anantham (21) to start a new life. Now, Anantham waits in the camp to hear about Anjali who is being treated at a private hospital.
Sixteen-year-old Shibajanu Juang, one of the youngest workers housed at the marriage hall, has got some comfort after the arrival of his parents from Odisha. “I heard about the job through people in my village. An agent helped arrange the work and I came here,” he said.
Benoy Peter, executive director of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), an NGO for the inclusion of migrant workers and spent years studying labour migration from Odisha, said young girls from the state, many of them minors, are channelled mainly into two industries —garments and fish processing.
“Agents target young girls because their tender hands are good at peeling work, and it’s easier to mobilise girls from the marginalised communities and with financial constraints.” he told TNIE.
In several cases he had documented, families did not even know where exactly in the state their children had gone to work, he said. Organising such workers into mainstream trade unions was essential, he said, adding the victims must be given proper compensation.
He also urged the Tamil Nadu government to seriously address the attacks and harassment faced by migrants. “Ultimately, there is no single solution to this,” he said.
