In a shocking incident, more than 100 workers from a diamond unit in Surat were rushed to hospitals on Wednesday after reportedly consuming water suspected to be contaminated with insecticide, officials said. The water, allegedly laced with the substance, came from a cooler installed on the premises of the unit. The incident took place at Anabh Gems, a diamond processing unit situated in the Millennium Complex of the Kapodra locality.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Alok Kumar, the unit's owner promptly rushed workers to two different hospitals for medical evaluation as a precautionary measure. He said none of the 110 workers suffered from any poisoning-related ailment, but they are kept under observation at hospitals.
The incident was triggered by a torn plastic bag containing the insecticide floating in the cooler, though the outer paper bag was found intact. "However, since it was a paper bag, some amount of insecticide likely mixed into the water which was drunk by workers," the police officer said. Kumar said a forensic team is conducting investigations and checking the CCTV footage. "Based on investigation, a case will be registered, and strict action will be taken," he added.
Surat diamond workers stage protest
Last month, hundreds of diamond workers took out a rally in Gujarat's Surat on Sunday, with some of them going on an indefinite strike to press for a relief package and pay hike amid a slowdown in the sector, which has led to a 50 per cent salary cut. Diamond cutters and polishers held a peaceful march from Katargam to Kapodara Hira Baug locality, a distance of around 5 km.
The protestors have demanded the creation of a welfare board, a raise in salary, and assistance to families of workers who committed suicide due to financial distress and called for an indefinite strike until their demands were met. Surat is among the premier centres of the diamond sector, with about 90 per cent of the world's rough diamonds being cut and polished here by around 10 lakh workers employed in more than 2,500 units.
(With inputs from PTI)
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