HYDERABAD: Despite thousands of workers toiling daily in hazardous conditions, Telangana’s factory inspection regime appears alarmingly casual – with most units, even those handling dangerous processes, inspected only once a year.
According to a 2023 Labour Bureau report, nearly 5,000 workers were engaged in dangerous operations across 603 factories in the state. Overall, Telangana’s factories employed over 45,000 workers daily, many exposed to hazardous environments that demand strict and frequent oversight. Yet in 2022, the department of factories conducted just one inspection per unit, covering only 4,399 industries across the state.This stands in stark contrast to states like Assam, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, where multiple inspections were carried out annually in high-risk industries. The fragility of Telangana’s inspection system came into sharp focus after the Sigachi factory explosion in Pashamylaram. Factory officials now admit that the plant was inspected only once – in Dec 2024 – and was not even categorised as a hazardous industry. This, despite the fact that Sigachi manufactured microcrystalline cellulose, a substance used in pharmaceuticals and prone to combustion under high temperatures. The fatal blast occurred in the plant’s dryer section, which, according to authorities, further exempted it from being classified as high risk.Officials justified the classification, claiming it wasn’t a pharma or chemical unit and therefore didn’t fall under the hazardous tag – a loophole now under sharp scrutiny. Under the Factories Act, 1948, the department is tasked with monitoring compliance in areas such as safety measures, working hours, health facilities, and wage issues. However, experts say inspections have become mechanical and perfunctory, allowing many factory managements to bypass safety protocols.In 2022, out of nearly 20,000 registered factories in Telangana, only 21 were officially found violating working hours and safety norms, resulting in just 62 convictions, the Labour Bureau report said. Of these, only 21 cases involved safety breaches. By comparison, Gujarat reported 1,178 convictions, and Andhra Pradesh 211, highlighting Telangana’s lenient enforcement record.
