Ahmedabad AMC Stops at ₹50 Lakh Fine After Two Workers Die at Sola STP; Blacklisting and Police Complaint Still Pending

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has imposed a ₹50 lakh fine on HNB Engineers Private Limited after two workers died and two others were injured at the Sola Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on October 26. However, despite the loss of two lives, the civic body has yet to decide whether to file a police complaint against the contractor or blacklist it.

Instead, the AMC is waiting for a report from the Project Management Consultant (PMC) before deciding on further action. The approach raises serious questions about accountability and why action against the agency has been left pending after a fatal accident at a site under its responsibility.

₹61 Crore Contract, Two Deaths and No Decision on Blacklisting

HNB Engineers Private Limited was awarded a 10-year contract worth ₹61 crore for the Sola STP, including ₹45 crore for capital expenditure and ₹16 crore for operation and maintenance.

Despite the scale of the contract and the deaths at the worksite, the ₹50 lakh fine remains the principal penalty imposed by the AMC so far. No decision has been announced on blacklisting the agency or filing a police complaint against it.

The fine does not, by itself, establish whether responsibility for the deaths has been fixed or whether the contractor will face further consequences. Those decisions remain tied to the PMC report, leaving questions over the speed and effectiveness of the corporation's response.

AMC Awaits PMC Report Before Deciding Further Action

AMC City Engineer Vijay Patel said the accident occurred during a trial run of the sewage treatment plant. Police are investigating the incident, while the PMC has been asked to examine whether the work was carried out in compliance with safety standards and regulations.

Patel said further action against the agency would depend on the report's findings.

The sequence raises a basic question: why has the corporation not announced a clear timeline for deciding on further action against the contractor? While the PMC's findings may help establish whether safety requirements were followed, the deaths have already exposed the need for a thorough examination of site supervision and safety arrangements.

HNB has committed to paying ₹30 lakh each to the families of the two deceased workers. The promised compensation totals ₹60 lakh, in addition to the ₹50 lakh fine imposed by the AMC.

However, compensation and penalties are separate from determining accountability. The families' promised payments do not resolve questions about the circumstances that led to the deaths or whether lapses occurred.

Worker Safety at STPs Under Scrutiny

The incident has also raised concerns over the safety procedures governing work at sewage treatment plants. Questions remain over the availability and enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the precautions required during trial runs and the monitoring of contractors working in hazardous environments.

If clear procedures are absent, the corporation must explain how such work is authorised and supervised. If procedures exist, the investigation must establish whether they were followed and who was responsible for enforcing them.

The PMC report should address these questions rather than serve merely as a procedural step before the AMC decides on penalties. The corporation's response will be judged not only by the fine it has imposed but also by whether the investigation establishes responsibility and leads to appropriate action.

Manisha Still Missing 20 Days After Falling Into Piplaj Sewer

The questions over safety have resurfaced amid the case of 10-year-old Manisha, who remains untraced 20 days after falling into a sewer line in Ahmedabad's Piplaj area.

Although the two incidents involve different circumstances, both have renewed scrutiny of the safety risks associated with sewer infrastructure and the measures taken to prevent such tragedies.

For the AMC, the immediate test is whether it moves beyond monetary penalties and pending reports to establish accountability. Until the findings are made public and further action is clarified, questions over worker safety, civic oversight and responsibility for the Sola STP deaths will remain unanswered.