Nagpur: A 28-year-old worker lost his life in a tragic industrial accident at a garbage segregation plant operated by SUSBDE company on Bidgaon Road in Wathoda, raising serious questions over workers’ safety arrangements and compliance with prescribed precautions at the facility.
The deceased, identified as Salman Ayub Khan, a resident of Antuji Nagar in Bhandewadi, was cleaning a trommel machine at the plant when the accident occurred around 7.30 am on Tuesday. Salman had climbed onto the machine along with fellow worker Akshay Belkar to remove accumulated garbage. During the operation, he reportedly lost his footing and got trapped in the machinery, sustaining critical injuries.
Company representatives took the injured worker, accompanied by his family members, to Bhavani Hospital in Pardi. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival. As the incident had taken place within Wathoda police station limits, the body was subsequently brought back to the area before being shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination.
The mishap triggered anger and tension at the plant, with the deceased’s relatives and other people present at the site questioning the circumstances that led to the fatal accident. Company officials held discussions with the family and those gathered at the premises and reportedly assured them of appropriate compensation.
The incident has brought the spotlight on the safety standards followed at the garbage segregation facility. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has entrusted the city’s garbage segregation work to SUSBDE, making it imperative for the civic body and the contractor to ensure that workers are not exposed to life-threatening risks while operating or cleaning heavy machinery.
Questions now arise over whether the trommel machine was properly shut down and isolated before cleaning, whether adequate safety equipment was provided, and whether the workers had been trained to carry out such operations safely.
Wathoda police have initiated the process of registering an accidental death case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the deceased’s father, Ayub Khan. The body has been sent for post-mortem, while police are investigating the circumstances of the accident and examining whether prescribed safety procedures were followed at the plant.
