Hyderabad, February 16: For the people who clean and prepare the city for another new day, a speeding car is all that takes to end their days altogether.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Council (GHMC) sweepers, who come out at night to clean the roads in the city, carry out a supposedly mundane job but one that can turn deadly in a flash. And a few moments is all that took for two such sweepers to lose their lives as a speeding Innova car which was negotiating a curve hit a road divider, went up in the air and fell on them, crushing them to death instantly.
The incident happened around 3 a.m. on Tuesday when nearly six sweepers including the victims C Nagalakshmi (40) and P Ishwaramma (35) were sweeping near the Jalagam Vengalrao park on Road No 1, Banjara Hills.
The Innova car (AP 28 DF 1015), driven at breakneck speed by 24-year-old S V Rajesh, was negotiating the curve near the park as he made his way to Nagarjuna circle.
The driver of the car was allegedly drunk and he lost control over the vehicle.
He hit the road divider, the impact of which threw tha car into the air and it landed on the other side, right on top of the two hapless workers and killing them on the spot. Rajesh reportedly suffered scratches on his forehead.
The Banjara Hills police said that Rajesh, who was taken into custody, was coming from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) after dropping his employer Gopal, who left for USA on late Monday night. “After dropping his employer, Rajesh consumed alcohol and was on a high while driving the car,” Banjara Hills sub-inspector B Ramesh told Express.
Both the victims had been working as sweepers with GHMC since the last 10 years. They would begin their work around 9.30 p.m everyday and continue till early morning.
Following the incident Ishwaramma’s family members went to Banjara Hills police station on Tuesday afternoon and staged a dharna there demanding justice. Ishwaramma, a resident of Gowri Shankar colony in Banjara Hills, has four daughters – Savithri, Saritha, Rekha and Lakshmi. Her husband Gangaram is a physically challenged person.
“My family has been completely dependent on the meager earnings of my wife. All my daughters are of marriageable age. Since the last three months, the contractor had not even been paying wages to my wife. He had promised to pay this morning but the incident took place,” Gangaram said.
The contractor Bhaskar who hired these women for sweeping, reportedly assured that he will help the family members of the deceased and help them claim the insurance which was recently given to sweepers. Ganagram however demanded that the owner of the car must come to the rescue of the bereaved families.
–Agencies