UGD worker killed as project pit caves in

A worker died when a pit in which he was working, caved in, in Cuddalore, on Wednesday. He was working for the underground drainage project.

The underground drainage project has been in progress in Cuddalore municipality for the last 4 years. On Wednesday, Natesan(40) along with four other workers were digging ditches along the roadside to fix underground pipes. They had been working without any safety measures.

Narayanasamy, a local resident said, “They were not wearing helmets. There should be a protective wooden barrier set up inside the pits to prevent soil from sliding.” Debris fell on him, burying him alive. A worker who was at the spot said, “There was about 2 feet of water in the pit. The weight of the debris must have killed him. He was taken out after a 45-minute struggle.

He was rushed to the Cuddalore government hospital where doctors declared him dead. Natesan is a native of Karunthalakurichi village, in Villupuram district.

It must be noted that, after baby Mahi’s death in Haryana, Cuddalore district collector Rajendra Ratnoo urged contractors of all departments to ensure proper safety measures in all ongoing and abandoned projects.