- Questions arise over safety standards and management’s attempt to suppress information
Telangana State – Komaram Bheem Asifabad District / Kagaznagar: A serious industrial accident at Sirpur Paper Mills in Kagaznagar has once again raised questions about worker safety and transparency within one of the region’s largest factories.
On Saturday morning, Chiluka Srinivas, a permanent worker in the Recovery Boiler–Evaporator Division, reportedly slipped and fell while cleaning an area contaminated with black liquor, a hazardous byproduct of the paper-making process. Colleagues rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed that his left arm was fractured. He was later shifted to Hyderabad for specialized treatment.
Workers at the mill allege that safety protocols exist only on paper and are rarely implemented in practice. “We risk our lives every day to keep the mill running, but there’s hardly any concern for our safety,” said one employee who requested anonymity.
The incident took an unexpected turn when journalists who arrived to document the scene were reportedly prevented from taking photographs by mill management. Eyewitnesses claim that officials warned the media not to publish any visuals or details about the accident.
This has sparked outrage among local residents and worker unions, who question the motives behind the restrictions. “Why try to hide an accident? Shouldn’t the focus be on preventing such incidents in the future rather than silencing the media?” one union representative asked.
Past incidents at the same mill tell a similar story. Despite repeated accidents and inquiries, no visible improvement in safety conditions has been made, according to workers. Each time, the issue fades away under the guise of internal investigation, leaving laborers feeling neglected and unsafe.
As one worker put it bluntly:
“If the system values production more than human life, these accidents will never stop.”
The latest incident has reignited calls for stricter enforcement of industrial safety regulations and greater accountability from management — not just at Sirpur Paper Mills, but across all hazardous workplaces in the region.
