K Umarani, a 30-year-old female employee at the Aavin plant in Tiruvallur district, tragically passed away on Tuesday night when her dupatta got entangled in a conveyor belt, causing a severe throat injury. Following the incident, the plant's supervisor, Varun Kumar, was arrested for negligence leading to Umarani's death and was subsequently placed in custody. Additionally, two employees were suspended, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against five others by Aavin management in response to the incident. The government has pledged compensation to Umarani's family and is considering implementing uniform and safer clothing regulations to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Umarani, originally from Bommiampatti in Salem, had recently joined the Aavin Kakkalur plant, where she worked in the packaging department, responsible for collecting and packing milk packets from the conveyor belt onto plastic trays for distribution. Unfortunately, on Tuesday night around 10:30 pm, her dupatta became caught in the conveyor belt, leading to the tragic accident. Despite efforts to save her after hearing her colleagues' cries, she succumbed to her injuries.
Minister Mano Thangaraj, overseeing dairy development, acknowledged the existing standard operating procedures at Aavin plants but emphasized the necessity of reinforcing these protocols in light of the recent incident, the first of its kind at the Kakkalur plant in 15 years. Thangaraj highlighted the challenges faced in advising women employees against wearing dupattas in high-risk areas like conveyor belts and packaging units due to cultural norms, particularly among rural workers. Discussions are underway regarding the implementation of overcoats to enhance safety without disregarding cultural traditions.
Umarani, survived by two children, warrants an immediate release of a 10 lakh compensation as declared by officials.The content could be rephrased as: "SA Ponnusamy from the TN Milk Dealers Welfare Association mentioned that Aavin is currently discussing with the Tiruvallur collector to guarantee that appropriate compensation and terminal benefits are promptly provided to her family."
