Growing number of accidents in pharma belt raises concern

Metro India News | SANGAREDDY

A growing number of industrial accidents in Sangareddy district's pharmaceutical manufacturing belt has raised serious concerns about worker safety, regulatory oversight, and alleged negligence by both industry managements and government agencies.

The industrial zones of Patancheru, Bollaram, Jinnaram, Pashamylaram and Sadashivpet have earned a reputation as major pharmaceutical hubs. However, labor unions and worker rights advocates argue that these areas are increasingly becoming death traps for industrial workers.

According to critics, pharmaceutical companies, driven by profit motives, are compromising worker safety by failing to maintain minimum safety standards, operating outdated machinery, and neglecting proper maintenance of reactors and other critical equipment. These issues gained renewed attention following the recent death of a young worker who had suffered severe injuries in an accident at a Maithri Drugs laboratory. The incident has sparked widespread concern about workplace safety across the district.

Questions are being raised about the effectiveness of regulatory bodies, including the Factories Department, the Pollution Control Board (PCB), and occupational health and safety authorities, whose primary responsibility is to identify and prevent industrial hazards. Under the Factories Act, 1948, industries handling hazardous chemicals are required to undergo regular safety inspections.

However, labor representatives claim that field inspections have become increasingly rare. Sources familiar with the sector estimate that the district hosts more than 300 hazardous chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Reports suggest that only a small percentage of these facilities received comprehensive inspections over the past year, while many others continued operations largely under self-certification arrangements.

Industrial safety audits, which are supposed to be conducted annually by independent third parties, are also facing scrutiny. Another concern relates to the relatively low financial penalties imposed for safety violations. Labor activists argue that fines amounting to only a few thousand rupees are insufficient to influence companies with turnovers running into crores of rupees.

Allegations over accident settlements

Worker organizations have also raised allegations that compensation packages ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh are often arranged for affected families, while efforts focus on resolving disputes outside prolonged legal proceedings. Some labor groups further claim that accident reports are occasionally contested or interpreted in ways that minimize corporate liability.

As Telangana continues to expand its pharmaceutical sector, industry experts warn that sustainable growth must be accompanied by rigorous safety standards, transparent enforcement, and protection of workers whose lives remain at the center of the industry's success.