The Tallakulam police in Tamil Nadu have filed an FIR (first information report) against three people in connection with the partial collapse of an under-construction flyover in Madurai district. On Saturday, August 28, a construction worker died and another worker was injured after a portion of an under-construction flyover collapsed at Narayanapuram in the district. Project in-charge Pradeep Kumar Jain, engineer Satendra Verma, and hydraulics machine contractor Baskaran have been booked under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 304 (A) (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The flyover has been under construction for the past two years, as part of the Madurai-Natham Highway Project. According to reports, on Saturday evening, a portion of the flyover, located between the Pandian hotel junction and Oomachikulam, collapsed, injuring two construction workers. Although the two of them were immediately rushed to the hospital, one succumbed to his injuries. The deceased has reportedly been identified as Akash Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister EV Velu, District Collector Aneesh Shekar and the Commissioner of the Madurai Corporation are reportedly reviewing the situation personally. Addressing the media on Sunday, EV Velu, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports, said that the accident was the contractor’s fault and that an investigative committee, under the leadership of N Baskaran, a professor at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy, has been set up. The report will be submitted to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
EV Velu said that flyover comes under the Union government’s SagarMala Project and is being overseen by the NHAI. He added that construction has been ongoing for three years and is expected to be completed by April 2022.
He also said that the accident could have been prevented if not for the contractor’s negligence. An investigation into the quality of the hydraulic machine has also been ordered, to find out why less than the required 200 tonnes of hydraulic power had been used to lift 160 tonnes of an I-girder, leading to the accident, he added.
The Minister further said that no senior officials of the project were present at the site, and that adequate safety measures had not been followed.
The Minister also mentioned that since the DMK came to power, a team has been set up to study road and bridge projects. According to the team, several cases of negligence have been reported, following which, notices were sent to the respective authorities and the contractors concerned were dismissed. A detailed log sheet would be maintained during any future projects and that safety precautions would take prime importance going forth.