AGRA: A 26-year-old worker on duty died after an elevator trolley used in the construction of a 285-meter-high chimney broke down at the under-construction thermal power plant in Malawan block of Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district on Friday. The victim, identified as Akshay Kumar, fell straight to the ground and died on the spot. He was a resident of Jharkhand’s Garhwa district.
The police rushed to the spot after getting the information and sent the body for post-mortem. Meanwhile, 13 workers stranded on top of the chimney were safely rescued.
However, the situation continued to be tense at the worksite as the other workers started protesting and pelting stones at the police officials alleging that the cops “misbehaved” when they demanded compensation for the victim’s family. According to police, an inspector and a constable were injured in the stone pelting.
Senior superintendent of police Udai Shanker Singh said, “After the untoward incident, there was resentment among the workers as no senior official concerned with the thermal power project came to the spot. Some of them indulged in stone pelting over demand for compensation. A police inspector and a constable sustained injuries. They are getting the required medical treatment and are safe.”
Meanwhile, the sub-divisional magistrate Shiv Kumar informed, “Following discussion with the workers and senior officials of the thermal power plant, law and order situation has been restored. The management of the power plant has assured that the victim’s family will be provided with Rs 26 lakh including Rs 18 lakh compensation, Rs 6 lakh insurance amount and Rs 2 lakh for cremation.”
The work on the project for the construction of the 1320 megawatt capacity thermal power plant under the Jawahar Tapiya Vidyut Pariyojna was started in 2017. The project worth Rs 17,000 crore was proposed to be completed in 2021 but got delayed due to Covid-19.
