Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) flays and denounces the utter lack of concern and well-equipped preparedness of the Union Govt and Defence Ministry to meet the challenges of avalanche putting the plight of lives of workers at stake at Border Road Organization (BRO) Camp site at hilly terrains of Chimoli in Uttarkhand on 28.2.2025. CITU urges for swift rescue measures for avalanche-struck workers.

The news of even defence forces not being able to access the site of avalanche struck workers engaged in construction of border road reveals the plight of safety of workers engaged in such work that too in hostile weather as well as in difficult geographical conditions without even communication network. The Union defence ministry undertaking the border road construction, having put these contract workers to work and the state govt going un-alert and shamelessly indifferent in spite of Indian Meteorological department’s cautions on snow fall and rains in the hilly areas of the state without any preventive arrangement and preparedness speaks about utter callousness on their part them towards the labourers.

The Contractor engaging workers in such a job without necessary safety preparedness and evacuation plan in case of avalanche in such hostile weather situation, while such a snow fall / avalanche are routinely expected during this calendar of the year should be black listed as well as penalized. The BRO construction workers, most of whom are migrant workers are put to brutal work conditions without necessary safety & health, transport and residential facilities. In this case even the lack of communication has further worsened the rescue operations.

The Border Road Organization and the Defence Ministry under Union Govt have to compensate the workers and their families for the losses incurred due to Avalanche struck disaster, as principal employers engaging the migrant contract labour as per Interstate Migrant Workers Act-1979 and Contract labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act 1970. Union Labour Ministry has to ensure the compliance of the statutory provisions in the works of Border Road Organization works, where the violations are norms almost in every worksite and Union Govt should act to safeguard the workers and their lives instead of decriminalizing the offences for ease of doing business.

Issued by,
Tapan Sen
General Secretary