KHAMMAM: As the temperatures continue to soar in the coal belt region of erstwhile Khammam district, Singareni employees working in open and underground mines are not having it easy. Asif Pasha, one of the operators at the mine, died due to cardiac arrest a few days ago. The attack was reportedly triggered by the scorching heat. Numerous workers are hospitalised daily due to sun stroke and heat wave-related ailments. In an attempt to bring some respite to the workers in this situation, appeals to change their shift timings are being made to the management.
“Until last year, the management had allowed this change in the shifts. But the target is to produce 70 million tonnes of coal this year. That is why the authorities are not implementing the change in shifts,” said AITUC union general secretary Vasireddy Seetaramaiah. According to him, this year, the workers have been asked to work in much more demanding shifts. The first shift is now from 7 am to 3 pm and the second starts right after — from 3 pm to 11 pm.”