Letters to The Editor — July 3, 2025

Safety is a forgotten word

Back-to-back fire explosions, in a pharmaceutical unit near Hyderabad and in a cracker unit near Sivakasi, pose a common question. Were these premises constructed to manufacture pharmaceuticals and firecrackers, respectively, or were the constructions improvised or converted to suit the requirements? Explosions in cracker units seem to be recurring accidents.

V. Lakshmanan,

Tirupur, Tamil Nadu

The government departments concerned must inspect factory premises at frequent intervals. Any non-compliance with safety rules should result in heavy fines and even the suspension of operations. The focus seems to be on making profits using cheap labour and curtailing expenditure on safety. India needs to follow standard operating procedures when it comes to safety — as it is in the developed world.

K. Chellappan,

Seattle, U.S.

There is hardly any information on whether precautionary and safety measures were in effect at the sites in Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The victims hailed from the lower strata of society. When will India start to value its human resources?

C.G. Kuriakose,

Kothamangalam, Kerala

The accident in Tamil Nadu, just a day after an explosion at a plant in Telangana, exemplifies the bitter reality — of unending compromises made by industrial and commercial enterprises in the country in ensuring a safe workplace for millions of workers. That a majority of them are unorganised, with no say in the matter, and are struggling to survive, makes it even sadder. All directives about improving safety appear to evaporate as quickly as the ink used to print them.

Kamal Laddha,

Bengaluru

Interrogation and training

That abhorrent incidents such as custodial torture and death continue to occur in this digital era, when there is significant awareness of human rights among various sections of society, are a matter of serious concern. No law permits the adoption of third degree methods or high-handedness in respect of an investigation by the law enforcement agency in a civilised society. What one can infer from the case of custodial torture in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, is the lack of interactions, guidance and motivation by the supervisory-level officials . All the ranks need to be exposed to the nuances of law and order and scientific methods of investigation through sensitisation, refresher courses and workshops and seminars at regular intervals. The process of interrogation should be transparent and undertaken under the personal supervision of higher officials.

V. Johan Dhanakumar,

Chennai