Team Herald
PONDA: Labourers engaged in highway development work at Farmagudi, Ponda, have been residing in deplorable conditions by the roadside for several months without access to basic facilities. This situation has raised health concerns not only for the workers but also for students of GVM’s Higher Secondary School, located nearby.
The workers, who have set up temporary shelters covered with plastic sheets near the roadside in front of the school, lack essential amenities such as toilets and bathrooms. Local resident Viraj Sapre has called on the authorities to instruct the contractor to provide proper accommodation and basic facilities for the workers.
Expressing concern over the issue, Sapre highlighted the risks posed to students, noting that some parents and teachers have raised complaints about open defecation in the nearby bushes. “On humanitarian grounds, these workers deserve proper accommodation, toilets, and bathrooms,” he stated.
The workers, including women, are struggling under the harsh summer heat, living under plastic tents without safety or sanitation. According to them, around eleven couples are currently residing in these makeshift shelters, with women labourers earning Rs 450 per day while males are paid Rs 550.
Sapre clarified that he is not against development projects but insisted that while crores are being spent on infrastructure, labourers should be provided with dignified living conditions and basic necessities. He urged the authorities to take immediate action to improve their situation.
Migrant workers play an essential role in the Indian economy with millions working in various sectors including construction, agriculture and manufacturing but unfortunately are subjected to various forms of exploitation like low wages, poor working conditions and lack of basic amenities.