34 bonded labourers, including nine children, rescued from brick kiln in Karnataka’s Bagalkot
Bagalkot: Authorities in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district rescued 34 bonded labourers, including nine children, who had been trafficked from Odisha and allegedly held captive at a brick kiln.
According to a report published by Deccan Herald, the rescue followed a complaint received by the district administration. The complainant informed the authorities that several individuals were confined at a brick kiln in Sankalapur village of Ilakal taluk which is around 50 km from the district headquarters. The total number of bonded labourers rescued in the district over the past three months has risen to 99, according to officials.
Bagalkot Deputy Commissioner Sangappa M said action was taken immediately after the complaint was received. “Given the number of cases coming to light, we will review the feasibility of conducting special drives to eliminate bonded labour in the district,” he said.
District Labour Officer Ramesh S Sumbad told DH that a first information report had been registered against the owner of the brick kiln. Adding that all rescued labourers had undergone medical examinations and were declared fit to travel, he said “They are scheduled to return to Odisha by train tonight."
The rescue was facilitated following a complaint by Spandana Association, an NGO working on labour rights. According to the organisation, the 34 rescued persons belonged to nine families who were allegedly lured with advances ranging from ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 per family by a trafficker.
Sushila, director of the NGO, told DH that the families were initially told they would be employed in Vijayawada and were taken there by bus. “They were later transported by train to Bagalkot. It was only about two weeks after starting work that they realised they were in Karnataka, after speaking to local labourers,” she said.
The families were reportedly paid ₹800 per week for work at the kiln. Once every week only one member of each family was allowed to visit the market. While the workers allegedly suffered physical and verbal abuse, they were also threatened when they questioned their working conditions, she claimed.
According to the NGO, the laborers were housed in makeshift brick shelters with no access to drinking water or sanitation facilities, and they were constantly monitored, even when they went outside to urinate themselves.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway ‘missing link’ to open on May 1; will improve travel safety: Shinde
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the long-awaited ‘missing link’ on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, aimed at bypassing the winding Bhor Ghat section and improving safety, will be inaugurated on May 1.
Shinde, who inspected the project site, said the new stretch will make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the hilly section.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to inaugurate the 13.3-km-long missing link, which connects Khopoli on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala, on Maharashtra Day, which is celebrated on May 1, he said.
The deputy CM said that 99 per cent of the project work has been completed. “I personally inspected the quality of work and found it satisfactory. The remaining minor works will be completed in the next few days,” Shinde said.
Shinde said the new alignment will bypass sharp curves and accident-prone stretches in the ghat section, helping reduce delays and improve commuter safety. He claimed accidents in the section would reduce substantially once the project becomes operational.
“The missing link project will make travel between Mumbai and Pune quicker, safer and more convenient, and will contribute significantly to the state’s development,” he said.
The Rs 6,700-crore project, developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), includes two tunnels, high viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley.
The missing link will reduce the travel distance between Mumbai and Pune by approximately 6 km and shorten the journey time by 20 to 30 minutes, said officials.
Initially, only light motor vehicles and buses will be permitted on the new stretch to reduce congestion on the existing ghat section, officials said, adding that heavy goods vehicles will be prohibited due to safety concerns.
“There will be no toll hike because of the missing link project. No increase has been proposed at the Khalapur toll plaza either,” Shinde said.
The project comprises two eight-lane tunnels of 1.75 km and 8.92 km in length and two viaducts measuring 850 metres and 650 metres, said officials. It has been designed to bypass the old Khandala ghat section, a winding route that has long slowed down traffic and posed safety risks, said officials.
The 650-metre viaduct will feature what officials described as India’s tallest road cable-stayed bridge, with pylons rising to 182 metres, taller than those on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Officials claimed that the tunnels have a width of 23.75 metres and are among the widest road tunnels in the world. An MSRDC official said the tunnel is likely to be included in the Guinness Book of Records.
The route runs beneath the Lonavala lake area and was executed in difficult terrain marked by heavy rainfall and strong winds, officials said.
Shinde said projects such as the missing link would boost access to tourist destinations such as Lohagad Fort, Visapur Fort and Karla Caves.
MP Shrirang Barne, former corporator Abasaheb Bagul, MSRDC Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad and senior engineers from executing agencies were present during the inspection, officials said.
Krishnamurthy Subramanian, executive chairman of construction and engineering company Afcons International Private Limited, said the journey to completion of “India’s highest road cable-stayed bridge” was challenging.
“The bridge, located in the Sahyadri region, presented extreme challenges, including narrow ridges that left little room for heavy machinery, sudden wind speeds reaching up to 100 kmph, and dense fog reducing visibility to a few metres. Despite these conditions, we are proud to deliver this engineering marvel,” he said.
The expressway, spanning approximately 95 km, holds the distinction of being India's first access-controlled highway.
