HYDERABAD: About a fortnight after the devastating explosion at Sigachi Industries, grief-stricken families of the eight missing workers continue to live in a void-without answers, without bodies, and without the dignity of closure.Despite repeated DNA tests, sleepless nights outside hospitals, and endless rounds to officials, there is still no confirmation on the fate of their loved ones. And with no official death certificates, not a single rupee of the compensation that the state govt promised the families of the dead workers has reached these broken households.
The state govt and the company together have promised the families of the dead workers Rs 1 crore as relief with Rs 1 lakh to be released immediately for day-to-day expenses. But these families have got nothing so far.“We have told the families that all procedures have been completed and that they can leave if they want to as it is unlikely that the remains of the eight missing workers will be found,” said P Pravinya, Sangareddy collector. She, however, added that the families can wait at the rehabilitation centre “as long as they want”.When asked about paying compensation to these families, the collector said: “We have to first submit a final report to the govt on all the FSL findings. Only then can we talk about this.”Families seek answersTOI spoke to several families caught in this endless wait. Among them is Umesh Chandra Sharma, who from Baliya district in Uttar Pradesh in search of his brother, Rahul Kumar Sharma, a 29-year-old trainee chemist at Sigachi.“We have travelled over 1,000 kilometres, and we’re still in the dark. They keep taking our DNA samples, but give us no answers. I’ve asked every official, every desk – no one tells us anything. They say if my brother isn’t found in three months, we’ll be given a death certificate. But how do I go home and just wait? This is killing us slowly,” Umesh said, eyes clouded with exhaustion and despair.Bajrangi Lal Nishad, also from Azizpur in Uttar Pradesh, has been searching for his two elder brothers, Akhilesh Kumar (38) and Vijay Kumar (29), both operators at the factory. All three brothers worked at Sigachi to support their families.“I am the youngest. Both of them have children who wait every night for news that never comes. And now, they want me to leave and come back later? What if, after three months, they ask me to prove they were my brothers? I have nothing left – no money, no help, no hope,” Bajrangi said, wiping tears. He and his extended family have decided to stay in the city – no matter how long it takes.Hope fading for someIn another corner of the city, Anitha Kumari from Darbhanga in Bihar waits with her 23-member family for word on her husband, Shivaji Kumar. “We came here with just one hope – to see him one last time,” said Anitha, her voice heavy with grief. “Now, I don’t even know if we’ll ever get that chance. He’s left us broken… shattered.”Speaking to TOI, Anitha said she hadn’t even heard about any compensation. “Right now, we’re struggling just to find my husband’s body. I can only imagine how much harder it will be to get any compensation,” she added, her words echoing the quiet despair shared by many families still waiting for closure.
