Sigachi blast victims struggle to rebuild lives as injured workers seek higher compensation

A year after the Sigachi Industries blast, injured workers like Rajesh Kumar Chowdary, Sushma and Divya continue to struggle with health issues, unemployment and financial hardships. They allege inadequate support from the management and demand Rs one crore compensation.

Sangareddy: Rajesh Kumar Chowdary (50), a migrant worker from Bihar who remained bedridden after the Sigachi Industries blast on June 30, 2025, has found it difficult to lead his family. The migrant worker, who worked in the industry for more than five years for a meagre Rs 13,000 salary, was not in a state to work in his remaining part of his life.

Chowdary, a father of five daughters, had married off his two elder daughters, but he had the responsibility of performing the wedding of three more daughters apart from feeding the entire family now. However, Chowdary, who had no means of other income, remained helpless as the Sigachi management, which promised to give salary until the injured are fully recovered, had stopped payment of salary a few months after the blast. Considering him a seriously injured person, the management had given just Rs 10 lakhs compensation.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Chowdary said that he was forced to spend a huge amount on his treatment which the management was refusing to give. Now, Chowdary was undergoing treatment in ESI hospital as he spent all the Rs 10 lakhs, given as compensation on his treatment. Since his wife was forced to stay with him and accompain him to hospital once in a week, the family, which stayed back in Hyderabad, was finding it difficult to meet the daily ends meet.
It is not the story of Chowdary alone, many injured employees in the blast had similar stories to narrate.

Sushma, a post graduate in MSc Chemistry, had also sustained serious injuries, but the management was refusing to give salary and denying to extend support to her treatment. Divya, another employee, also sustained serious burn injuries. Both these young ladies and their parents were taking care of them.
Since Sushma and Divya were struggling with lot of health issues, their parents worried that they would not be able to marry their daughters. Chowdary, Sushma and Divya have demanded Rs one crore compensation since they remained bedridden and there there was no possibility to get back to the work again in their life. The remaining injured also just confined to their homes since their body was not supporting them to work again.