In Chennai, a tragic incident occurred at the Aavin plant in Tiruvallur district resulting in the death of a 30-year-old female employee named K Umarani. The incident involved her dupatta getting caught in a conveyor belt, causing a severe throat injury. Following the incident, Varun Kumar, the plant supervisor, was arrested for negligence leading to Umarani's death and was subsequently sent to jail. In response, the Aavin management suspended two employees and initiated disciplinary action against five others. The government has pledged to provide compensation to Umarani's family and is considering implementing uniform and safer dress codes to prevent similar accidents in the future.

Umarani, a resident of Bommiampatti in Salem, had recently joined the Kakkalur plant of Aavin, where she was working in the packaging section. Tragically, while collecting milk packets from the conveyor belt, her dupatta got entangled in the machinery, resulting in a fatal incident. Despite efforts to rescue her, she succumbed to her injuries.

In light of this incident, the Minister for Dairy Development emphasized the importance of reinforcing safety measures at all Aavin plants. Discussions are underway regarding the introduction of overcoats as a safety measure for female employees working in high-risk areas like conveyor belts and packaging units. While existing safety protocols advise against wearing dupattas in such environments, the challenge lies in balancing safety with cultural practices, especially for employees from rural backgrounds.

Moving forward, the immediate release of a compensation of 10 lakh to Umarani's family is essential to support her two children. The focus remains on enhancing safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.I am SA Ponnusamy from the TN Milk Dealers Welfare Association. Thangaraj mentioned that discussions are underway between Aavin and the Tiruvallur collector to secure appropriate compensation for her family, as well as ensure prompt settlement of her terminal benefits.