NHRC issues notice to TN govt on wall collapse

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today issued a notice to Tamil Nadu government on the death of 11 persons in a godown wall collapse in neighbouring Tiruvallur last month.
The notice was issued while taking cognizance of a complaint that a building's wall collapsed on July 5 at Upparapalayam Village, near Red hills Lake in Tiruvallur District, in which about 11 construction workers from Andhra Pradesh died and few others were grievously injured.
The complaint alleged that a lot of godowns were constructed without the approval of Local Planning Authority in Red Hills area which is a wetland protected under the Wetland Conservation and Management Rules, 2010, NHRC said in a release.

Observing that the allegations raise a serious issue ofviolation of human rights, NHRC member Justice D Murugesan issued the notice to state Chief Secretary calling for a report within four weeks.
Since this tragedy occurred within a week of the collapse
of an under-construction 11-storeyed building on June 28 claiming 61 lives, the complainant has alleged that the Tamil Nadu government has miserably failed to protect the life of innocent, oppressed and poor construction workers as its officials allowed illegal constructions by flouting the rules regarding building construction approval, soil test, etc.