On May 15, Udal Yadav, a 37-year-old migrant worker, sat outside the mortuary of the government-run Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad. He was waiting for the post-mortem results of his relatives, who were victims of a construction-site wall collapse at Bachupally in Hyderabad, after the recent rains.
Seven people, including a four-year-old child, died on May 8, after the wall collapsed on the migrant workers’ tenements. All of them hailed from Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. It has put the spotlight on the risks that migrant workers are forced to take, when they leave their homes and come to work, unprotected by State or employer, in chaotic urban centres.
“It has been some days since the accident, yet the building owner where we were employed, has not reached out with any assistance. I earn Rs. 800 daily, but today, I could not work as I have been here at the hospital. I am not sure how I will make up for this loss,” Yadav says.
By 9 p.m., the doctors handed over the bodies to the police, who in turn gave them to the friends and families of the deceased. Transporting the bodies to their hometowns would take Rs. 50,000.
One worker remarked, “If I labour on a site for six months, this is all I will be able to save.” The families and fellow workers of the victims were unable to proceed and transport a single body due to the exorbitant transportation expenses.
While the workers engaged in dialogue with the police, a man approached them and handed over a letter written by the building owner. Unable to understand Telugu, the workers sought assistance from the police to translate its contents.
According to the letter, on behalf of the Twin Cities’ Contractors’ Association, the building owner offered his condolences and proposed a compensation of Rs. 11.5 lakh per victim.
“Immediate assistance of Rs. 50,000 will be provided to facilitate the transportation of bodies to their native villages, with the remaining Rs. 11 lakh to be disbursed via cheque upon presentation of a family member’s identity proof,” a policeman said, while reading the letter aloud.
Finally, after spending almost 12 hours outside the mortuary, the workers left.
This is not the first time that migrant workers had died in Hyderabad. In March 2022, up to 11 from Bihar were killed in a blaze at a timber depot. Today, it is difficult to find the site of the fire mishap that claimed their lives. There are no memorials, nothing to remember them by.
Without a permanent place to stay, a regular source of income, and knowledge of the local language, migrants live on the edge while the bricks they lay become landmarks in cities. The lives of migrant workers remain unchanged, whether they are hired to construct a three-floor apartment or a towering 40-storeyed high-rise.
Toiling from dawn to dusk
Work on a construction site begins at 8 a.m., extending up to 5 p.m. mostly, and does not stop for temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius. Basic amenities — clean water, sanitation, and electricity — are missing, leaving them vulnerable to disease and discomfort. Falling ill is a luxury they cannot afford; a single day off from work can mean a missed meal for their families. At a construction site, where babies lie in the sun, dust and debris is everywhere.
According to Telangana’s Department of Labour, Employment Training and Factories, there are an estimated 5 to 6 lakh migrant workers currently employed in different parts of the State. The number was eight to 10 lakh before the COVID-19 pandemic, said an official.
On the Yousufguda-Madhura Nagar road, hundreds of labourers congregate along the roadside, hopeful of a contractor offering them some work, ensuring a day’s sustenance. These labourers not only include construction workers but also individuals skilled in carpentry, painting, and plumbing.
“I live in Krishna Nagar with my husband and his two brothers. We come here daily hoping for work, but, not every day brings us joy,” shared Sunita, a labourer hailing from Samastipur, Bihar. “In this relentless heat, we endure hours of waiting until someone approaches us with work.”
She highlighted the challenges faced by women: “Life is difficult for everyone, but men have the advantage of diversifying into painting and carpentry. In contrast, women like us are often given the repetitive task of transporting materials from one location to another. Also, we are paid less than men.”
Ameen Shah, who hails from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh, is presently employed as a worker at a 40-storeyed residential project at Abids. “If we work on such sites and don’t have alternative accommodation, we are typically provided shelter within the premises,” he explained. “For us, it becomes a home for the next few years as these projects usually take two to three years until completion.”
However, the issue of wages persists. Ameen said that his role as a Plaster of Paris (PoP) worker, while integral to the site, is not directly tied to the construction process, resulting in lower wages. He earns Rs. 500 per day. “My work commences once the walls or ceilings are prepared, and because of this, individuals in this line of work are paid less compared to other construction workers,” he said.
Now 35 years old, he recalled his journey since leaving his hometown at 20, to settle in Hyderabad. “Back then, Hyderabad wasn’t witnessing the emergence of such towering structures, and developers or builders weren’t organised to provide support for workers like us,” he reminisced.
“When I first started working, my daily wage was Rs. 65-Rs. 70. After 15 years of labour across different cities, I now earn Rs. 500 per day. Back then Rs. 65 was sufficient to make ends meet, unlike today’s Rs. 500 per day,” he added.
Ameen currently lives in a rented accommodation at Himayat Nagar with his wife and their five-year-old child. “If I were alone, I could consider staying at the construction site, but I can’t expose my wife and child to the constant dust and pollution there,” he explained. “Our house rent is Rs. 5,000 per month.” Initially, his wife too worked at a construction site, but with no one to take care of their child, she now stays home with him.
On his last visit to his hometown, Ameen’s 23-year-old cousin, Salman, joined him in Hyderabad to work together at the Abids site. “I arrived in Hyderabad only six months ago, and since I am currently working as a site helper, my daily wage is Rs. 300,” Salman said.
Salman finished school in his hometown, but was unable to pursue higher studies due to financial constraints. Prior to arriving in Hyderabad, he engaged in various odd jobs in small towns near his village. “Initially, I stayed with Ameen, but later, being single, I opted to move into the accommodation provided at the construction site,” he said.
Most of these workers did not visit their hometowns to vote for the Lok Sabha elections, citing the impracticality of such a decision when it comes to their livelihoods. The primary problems were the long travel time and logistical challenges. For instance, workers from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar would need to endure a two-day train journey to reach cities like Gorakhpur or Patna, and then proceed to their hometowns, before repeating the same arduous journey back to Hyderabad. “Moreover, with peak travel season, even those who made reservations 120 days in advance, struggled to secure tickets,” a worker said.
Welfare moves
In 2014, the Telangana Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (TBOCWWB) was established by the State government in accordance with Section 18 (1) of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ (RE&CS) Act, 1996. The primary objective of the board is to advocate for the welfare of construction workers, ensuring they are provided with safe working conditions and essential facilities. Additionally, the board extends support for healthcare services and offers assistance in case of accidents or emergencies.
The board has classified 54 types of workers under the umbrella term “construction worker,” whereby registration with the board renders them eligible for various welfare schemes. A total of 11 such schemes are offered to these registered workers. These include financial assistance such as Rs. 30,000 under the Marriage Gift Scheme for unmarried women, Rs. 30,000 as maternity benefit for the wives of male workers, Rs. 6 lakh as relief for fatal accidents, and Rs. 80,000 as relief for fatal accidents for unregistered workers.
Nodal officer for Migrant Workers in Telangana L. Chaturvedi said, “In the Bachupally accident, the deceased workers were not registered with the board. Therefore, the government provided Rs. 50,000 as compensation along with Rs. 30,000 towards funeral expenses.”
“To register with the board, a worker only needs to pay Rs. 50 for a one-time membership, with an additional Rs. 60 for a five-year subscription, totalling Rs. 110. We consistently encourage contractors and builder associations in Hyderabad and throughout the State to ensure their workers are registered with us. Additionally, we conduct routine inspections at construction sites to verify compliance with the prescribed rules and regulations,” said the officer.
