OVERSHADOWING LIVES Blood, sweat, tears & negligence: Dangers lurking behind city bldgs

Despite deaths due to unsafe construction sites, accountability is rare; police cases, if filed at all, target supervisor or contractor

- Megha Kuchik, Devashri Bhujbal, Avadhut Kharade

Despite repeated tragedies and laws mandating safety measures, construction sites across Mumbai continue to operate with glaring negligence, often costing innocent lives.

On October 8, two separate incidents reminded the city once again of this grim reality. In Jogeshwari East, 22-year-old Sanskruti Amin was killed when a cement block fell on her head from an under-construction building. The same day, in Chembur, a 46-year-old labourer fell to his death from the 13th floor while plastering a wall.

Relatives of both victims have accused the builders of negligence, alleging that basic safety norms were ignored. “If helmets or safety nets had been in place, these deaths could have been prevented,” said one relative, visibly angry at the developers’ indifference. Unfortunately, these are not isolated cases. Just 15 days prior, yet another construction worker died under similar circumstances; this time, the developer had reportedly failed to provide safety harnesses.