Gurgaon: The deaths of three workers following a crane collapse near Faridabad's Panhera Khurd village on Thursday have once again highlighted safety concerns at infrastructure projects in the National Capital Region (NCR). Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) attributed the accident to strong winds. However, the tragedy has revived a familiar question: if every major project is required to follow safety protocols, why do accidents continue to occur?
Recurring Accidents in NCR Projects
In June 2023, an 800-tonne stretch of the Dwarka Expressway collapsed in Delhi, killing an earthmover operator. The same year, a worker died in a shuttering collapse at a railway underpass project in Dhanwapur. In 2021, a falling girder near Pataudi Road and an elevated road collapse near Dultabad Chowk injured several labourers. In 2020, a section of the under-construction Gurgaon-Sohna elevated corridor collapsed, leaving two workers hurt. Just last month, a major tragedy was averted on the Pataudi-Rewari Highway when an iron reinforcement bar fell from an under-construction flyover onto a car during a dust storm.
Root Causes: Beyond Individual Incidents
Individually, each accident has been attributed to a different cause — mechanical failure, structural instability, procedural lapses, or adverse weather. Collectively, however, they point to a deeper issue. A former adviser to NHAI stated that there is no shortage of safety regulations governing infrastructure projects. Contractors are required to engage safety engineers, quality control personnel, and certified equipment operators. Detailed procedures exist for lifting operations, traffic management, emergency response, and worker protection. “The issue is whether these mechanisms are functioning effectively on the ground,” he said.
Gap Between Compliance and Implementation
Safety experts indicate that the problem lies in the gap between compliance on paper and implementation at the site. Risk assessments may be prepared, audits conducted, and safety manuals circulated, but their effectiveness depends on decisions made during day-to-day operations. Saikat Basu, chief mentor at Consultivo Group, a safety, ESG, and risk management consultancy, explained, “Causes of accidents generally fall into three categories — system failure, equipment or process failure, and human error. However, equipment failure and human error can largely be controlled if the safety management system is robust.”
Basu further noted that weather and possible ground instability may have contributed to the Faridabad accident, but those were risks that should have been anticipated. “Heavy rain, strong winds, or changes in ground conditions are well-known construction hazards. The key question is whether site-level job safety analysis and risk assessments were carried out before operations resumed,” he said.
Lifting Operations and Hazard Identification
Basu emphasized that lifting activities are among the most hazardous. “Before any such operation begins, there should be a comprehensive hazard identification exercise. A lifting plan is not merely a compliance document; it must be reviewed and updated whenever site conditions change,” he said. The former NHAI adviser added that a shortage of qualified personnel is also a challenge. “Construction safety cannot depend solely on paperwork; it requires competent people on site who can identify risks and stop work when conditions become unsafe. Weather forecasting systems are available in real-time today, but the real issue is whether warnings are acted upon,” he said.
Accountability and Enforcement
Inquiries into accidents have often resulted in temporary suspensions, meagre financial penalties, or short-term debarment of contractors and officials. In many cases, restrictions were lifted and projects resumed. Experts argue that these measures have done little to prevent similar incidents from recurring. The former NHAI adviser stated, “Responsibility often becomes diffused among contractors, consultants, and authority engineers. Unless accountability is fixed clearly and transparently, lessons from such accidents are not fully learned.”
Need for a Strong Safety Culture
Ultimately, Basu said, reducing fatalities requires a shift in both mindset and enforcement. “Project deadlines and commercial pressures exist in every construction project. That is precisely why a strong safety culture is essential. No employee, supervisor, or contractor should feel compelled to bypass safety requirements to meet timelines,” he said. “The two most important factors are management commitment and accountability. If project leaders genuinely prioritise safety, resources and attention will follow. And unless there are meaningful consequences, organisations are unlikely to treat safety failures with the urgency they deserve,” Basu added.
