Millions of workers, minimum safety in construction boom

Hubballi: On February 17, Mallesh Mishiyavar (46) and Akbar Goususaab Sangati (35) were plastering the outer wall of a seven-floor medical college under construction on the outskirts of Hubballi when a scaffolding knot snapped, causing them to fall to their deaths.

Although they were rushed to a nearby private hospital, both were declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

Accounts from the construction site indicated that the scaffolding, tied just the night before, was not secure. Mallesh and Akbar, exhausted from a week of double shifts to earn a little extra income may have failed to notice the rope loosening.

Work came to a standstill as labourers staged a snap protest after the accident, demanding better safety measures and proper compensation for the deceased workers. The next morning, the mason contractor drove his goods vehicle to Hubballi Railway Station Road, where people seeking daily wage labour gather daily, waiting to be picked up for work at wages as low as Rs 500–Rs 750 a day.

Over a month after the accident, construction at the medical college goes on in full swing, while the victims’ families struggle to move forward with their lives.

“Mallesh was the sole breadwinner for his family of four. The society, which is building the medical college, gave us around Rs 8.75 lakh. We haven’t heard yet from the government. Whatever money we received was spent for his final rites and clearing debts,” says Mallesh’s brother Manjunath. He seeks financial security for Mallesh’s wife and their two sons, who are still in school.

According to the rules, both Mallesh and Akbar’s families should receive Rs five lakh each as government compensation, while the courts typically determine the amount the builders are required to pay. 

In Mysuru, Saddam (32) of Ghousia Nagar met a similar fate when he was buried alive under debris from a portion of the old building of Maharani’s Science College for Women on Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road. On January 28, 2025, he and 12 other labourers were removing old windows and doors from the 108-year-old building, which was under renovation, when part of the dilapidated structure collapsed. Although rescue personnel rushed to help, they were unable to save Saddam, while others managed to escape to safety. 

A case was filed against the contractor for failing to implement adequate safety measures. Saddam’s family received a compensation of Rs five lakh under the guidelines of the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996. 

Construction work is inherently one of the most dangerous occupations. According to data from the Karnataka Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, 223 construction workers lost their lives between 2020–21 and 2025–26 in the state, while seven workers sustained injuries in workplace accidents. Experts and trade union members say the actual numbers could be higher, as many cases go unreported.

The board reports nearly 27.68 lakh active registered construction labourers in Karnataka, but trade union members estimate that the total, including unregistered workers, could be around 41.65 lakh, making construction the state's second-largest employment sector after agriculture.

Nearly 30% of labourers in the construction sector are unregistered. For many farmers, construction work is seasonal or part-time, taken up mainly during the lean phase in agriculture. Most labourers lack formal training, which increases the risk of accidents. 

This reflects a broader national trend. A 2021 study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi says that every year nearly 48,000 people involved in the construction sector die in India by falling from great heights, electrocutions, and falling walls and scaffolding. 

Unrecorded accidents

K Mahantesh, general secretary of the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Federation, says that Karnataka records an average of 75–80 construction worker deaths at sites each year. The number of injuries and cases of permanent disability is at least three times higher, he adds. 

Several labour union members told DH that, in smaller projects, paying compensation to the families of deceased labourers is often seen as cheaper than implementing proper safety measures.

A senior police officer from the Bengaluru East Division said that in cases where workers die at construction sites due to alleged negligence, police register cases under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Contractors and private construction companies are booked for causing death by negligence. However, securing convictions remains a challenge, as co-workers and victims’ families often fail to appear as witnesses during court proceedings.

Most of the deceased workers are migrants from other states, and their families often leave the city after the incident. As a result, only a few cases end in conviction. In some instances, contractors or companies persuade families to accept out-of-court settlements by offering monetary compensation.  

Negligence, poor enforcement of safety measures and hazardous working conditions are the primary causes of casualties at construction sites. Experts say falls from heights remain the leading cause of deaths and injuries in the sector, as builders often fail to install guardrails and safety nets or provide basic protective gear. 

Electrocution and machinery-related accidents are also major risks. Exposed wiring, unsafe electrical connections and inadequate grounding frequently lead to electrocution. Accidents involving heavy machinery such as cranes, lifts and concrete mixers are common, especially when operated by untrained workers.

Vasanth Achari, secretary of the Dakshina Kannada district committee of the Karnataka State Building and Other Construction Workers’ Federation, says that at large construction sites workers are generally provided with safety gear. However, at smaller sites with fewer labourers, safety measures are often neglected. He says that nearly 70% of construction in Karnataka occurs at smaller sites. 

The situation of women migrant labourers with young children is particularly dire. Often, women tie a cloth cradle to a tree near the construction site to let their child sleep. 

Belagavi-based builder Santosh Kulkarni says that builders prefer to hire skilled labourers, yet their availability is scarce. Many workers are often inconsistent, forcing builders to rely on whoever is available, even those without necessary skills or training, he adds.

He says the state government has formulated many rules to protect the interest of the construction labourers. However, there are several guidelines that are impractical for implementation. 

Santosh cites the ‘Letter of Appointment’ provision in the notification issued under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (Karnataka) Rules, 2021. “Implementing this provision is nearly impossible, as many workers are illiterate and can be easily manipulated by contractors and builders. Also, the likelihood of the same labourers returning to work regularly is low,” he says.

Amit Rao, a Hubballi-based builder, says that although his company provides insurance and health benefits, most workers do not benefit because sub-contractors hire different labourers each day, whose names are not included in the original contract or insurance list.

Under the Code on Social Security, 2020, the Union government has empowered Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board in every state to provide death and disability compensation, pensions, insurance, education for workers’ children, medical expenses for major ailments, maternity benefits, hostel facilities, and to formulate other welfare schemes. However, experts say that these provisions often exist only on paper.

Bengaluru-based legal expert Maitreyi Krishnan says, “Construction work remains one of the most hazardous occupations, making preventive safety measures critical. The Building and Other Construction Workers Act previously provided several safeguards for workers’ safety and welfare. However, the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, which has replaced the Act, does not retain many of these key protections.”

Labour activists also point out that enforcement of safety and welfare measures has weakened due to a severe shortage of officials in the labour department. As a result, violations such as non-payment of minimum wages and gender-based wage discrimination continue to be reported. While workers injured in accidents are legally entitled to compensation from both employers and the Construction Workers’ Welfare Board, the implementation of these provisions remains uncertain.

Activists emphasise that the Welfare Board must ensure universal registration of construction workers and make it mandatory for every employer to register their workers, enabling them to access social security benefits.

Registration of employees has become more complicated with the introduction of the online system. According to Yashoda P, office bearer of the Domestic Workers Rights Union, “Previously, labour cards were renewed once every three years, but now they must be renewed annually. The government has also introduced an ‘e-card’ for the families of construction labourers. However, this requires submitting four different sets of documents, which is difficult and time-consuming for the families.” 

Labour welfare

Labour activists also point out that the cess collected from builders and construction companies is not being used for its intended purpose.

K Mahantesh says that between 2007 and 2025, Karnataka collected a whopping Rs 13,000 crore under the building cess for the welfare of labourers. “Nearly 65% of these funds remain unutilised. It is unfortunate that the previous two governments have used this money for other development works, even though the rules clearly state that it should be spent only for the benefit of construction labourers,” he adds.

Builders also complain that funds collected from them by the government are not utilised at their site. 

Suresh Hari, former chairman of the Bengaluru circle of Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), says every builder pays the cess even before the work commences at their sites. “We never know where the collected funds are being utilised as the government hasn’t made much facilities for the labourers locally.”

He calls for universal registration of construction workers so that irrespective of where the labourer comes from they should be provided with social and financial security. 

Another member of CREDAI, requesting anonymity, said the government should refrain from harassing builders and construction companies after a tragedy occurs at their sites.

“We may provide all the safety gears and precautionary measures to prevent tragedies; if the labourers do not use them, how can we be held responsible? There are sub-contracts, floating labourers and unskilled workers at the site, making us scapegoats is a matter of concern,” he says.

According to A H Umesha, Joint Secretary of the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, site safety is governed by the Building and Other Construction Workers Act of 1996. Enforcement is divided by project scale: the Department of Factories and Boilers oversees projects valued at Rs 25 crores and above, while Labour Officers manage smaller sites. 

“In Bengaluru, a team of eight officers conducts inspections to ensure the presence of safety plans and essential equipment like helmets, shoes and safety nets. If violations such as inadequate barricading or improper excavation are found, the department issues notices and may proceed with prosecution,” he says. 

Umesha says that of the total Rs 13,000 crore collected as cess since 2007, nearly Rs 7,700 crore remains unspent. “The amount is invested in nationalised banks through a tender process. The interest earned from these investments, along with the principal, is utilised for welfare schemes, social security, and Direct Benefit Transfer programmes,” he adds.

(With inputs from Ashwin B M and Manjunath Shettar in Bengaluru, Naina J A in Mangaluru, Shilpa P in Mysuru and Vittal Shastri in Kalaburagi)