Construction Workers of Sobha Dream Acre Die Due to Poor Hygiene in the Makeshift Colony

On January 1, 2018, 1,500 construction workers vacated the makeshift colony for construction labourers, reported Times of India. The workers fled from the colony in east Bengaluru, near Varthr lake, following the death of two construction workers in last 72 hours. Many reports in the media reported that these deaths were caused by Cholera. According to the report in New Indian Express, “Dr Sanjiv Lewin, Chief of Medical Services at St John’s Medical College and Hospital confirmed that two labourers died due to cholera”. But our source, who visited the colony, pointed that not all deaths were due to Cholera, it was due to other infections caused by the contaminated water. This clearly explains the condition in which the workers of Sobha constructions live in. 

The construction site in question here is on the premises of Sobha constructions. Our source noted, “it is divided into quarters for technicians and workers. The technicians are direct employees of Sobha Constructions. They live in double storey prefab quarters, with over 200 (two hundred) workers living in one unit. The workers are mostly working under different contractors, and they live in a place called China Shed, behind the technicians’ quarters, in single-storeyed cement quarters with no ventilation.” 

According to a report that was published in The Hindu on 30 July 2017, “the Karnataka government has collected Rs. 4,782.74 crore as cess from builders to be used for welfare scheme for workers, but the utilisation is an abysmal 2.44%.” The building and other construction workers’ welfare cess act, 1966 is, “An Act to provide for the levy and collection of a cess on the cost of construction incurred by employers with a view to augmenting the resources of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Boards constituted under the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.” Hence according to the Act, the workers of Sobha constructions should be registered with the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (KBOCWWB).

The above-mentioned report in The Hindu noted that, “of estimated 28.76 lakh building and other construction workers in the State, only 36% (10.61 lakh) have registered with the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (KBOCWWB), established a decade ago, for implementing various welfare schemes.” 

The workers of Sobha constructions live in poor conditions. Sudip a resident of the colony told TOI, "Fans have not been working for over a year. We had complained about it, but nothing has been done. If they are deducting the money from our wages, then they should at least ensure that we are safe." The workers talking to our sources at the site informed, “Rs. 300 is deducted from their salaries for monthly for rent and maintenance, however, their quarters were never cleaned. This was in addition to deductions for electricity and water. Many also said that they were not receiving their payslips, and they were not even sure what other deductions were being made from their salaries.”

If the workers are registered with KBOCWWB as they are expected to according to the Act, what has happened to cess money? If the cess money is being utilised, why is Sobha constructions collecting money from the workers? These are the two important questions that need further investigation. Bangalore is a city that is vastly expanding has thousands of construction companies. These companies are providing employment to thousands of migrant labourers as construction workers. This case of Sobha Ltd. is a reminder to check on the violations made by these private companies. It is the responsibility of the Government of Karnataka to ensure that all the workers are registered with KBOCWWB, and that the cess has been utilised in the workers’ interest.