Interactive session on from Tragedy to Preventionheld at Bhubaneswar on 07-07-2026

From Tragedy to Prevention: Strengthening Occupational Safety & Health and Migration Governance for Informal Migrant Workers

Interactive session on

Strengthening Occupational Safety & Health

Learning from Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy June 2026

Interactive Session Agenda

Interactive Session

Learning from the Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy: Preventing Loss of Life and Livelihood of Migrant Workers through Practical and Achievable Solutions

Date: Tuesday, 7th July 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM (IST)
Mode: Online Interactive Session
Organised by: Swasth Bhoomi Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with Indo Global Focal Point (IGFP)

Objective of the Interactive Session

To critically examine the recent Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy affecting migrant workers from Odisha and develop practical, evidence-based recommendations for submission to the Labour Departments and other regulatory authorities of the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Odisha. The session will focus on identifying systemic gaps, strengthening institutional mechanisms, and recommending actionable interventions to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Agenda

Time	Session	Speaker/Facilitator	Focus
12:00 – 12:05 PM	Welcome Address & Opening Remarks	Mr. Subrata Biswas CEO, Swasth Bhoomi Pvt. Ltd. Mr BK Sahu, Founder Director IGFP	Welcome participants, objectives, and expected outcomes of the Interactive Session
12:05 – 12:15 PM	Context Setting	Dr. Ashok Sahu Dr Ashok Sahu Designation Former SLEA to Ministry of Labour Govt of India & SG NHRC Member IGFP Advisory Board	Overview of the Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy and the purpose of the consultation
12:15 – 12:25 PM	Expert Perspective	Prof. S. Irudaya Rajan Chair, International Institute of Migration and Development, Kerala	Migration governance and protection of interstate migrant workers
12:25 – 12:35 PM	Expert Perspective	Mr. Arun Roy Former Deputy Labour Commissioner	Labour administration, interstate coordination, and institutional strengthening
12:35 – 12:45 PM	Expert Perspective	Mr. Nirmal Mohanty Gram Seva / Gram Vikas	Community participation, safe migration, and social protection mechanisms
12:45 – 12:55 PM	Expert Perspective	Mr. Bisoi District Labour Officer, Keonjhar	District-level experiences in Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) and migrant worker welfare
1:05 – 1:35 PM	Interactive Discussion	All Speakers	Deliberations on key findings, recommendations, and implementation strategies
1:35 – 1:50 PM	Presentation of Key Takeaways & Concluding Remarks	Dr. Ashok Sahu	Summary of discussions, key recommendations, and way forward
1:50 – 2:00 PM	Closing Remarks & Vote of Thanks	Mr. Bk Sahu	Next steps, preparation of proceedings, and submission of recommendations

Key Discussion Themes

Key Findings from the Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy

- What happened?
- What went wrong?
- Immediate and root causes.
- Gaps in occupational safety, emergency preparedness, and migrant worker protection.

Achievable Recommendations

Policy interventions by the Governments of Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
Strengthening migrant worker registration systems.
Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) compliance.
Employer accountability.
Emergency preparedness and response.
Compensation and social security mechanisms.
Institutional coordination between Home State and Host State.

Pathways for Implementation

Strengthening institutional arrangements.
Roles of Government Departments, Employers, Contractors, Panchayats, and Communities.
Capacity building and awareness programmes.
Digital registration and tracking of migrant workers.
Monitoring, compliance, and accountability mechanisms.

Expected Outputs

Identification of the key findings from the Tamil Nadu Gas Leak Tragedy.
Practical and implementable recommendations for preventing similar incidents.
Actionable roadmap for strengthening occupational safety and migrant worker welfare.
Proceedings and Minutes of the Interactive Session.
Policy Recommendations for submission to:
- Labour & Employees’ State Insurance Department, Government of Odisha
- Department of Labour Welfare & Skill Development, Government of Tamil Nadu
- Relevant regulatory authorities and migrant worker welfare institutions.

Session Roles

Expected Outcome

Role	Person
Host & Moderator	Mr BK Sahu Founder Director
Lead Speaker & Rapporteur for Key Takeaways	Dr. Ashok Sahu, Former SLEA to Ministry of Labour Govt of India & SG NHRC Member IGFP Advisory Board
Minutes of Proceedings	Mr. Nirmal Mohanty, Gram Seva NGO
Technical Coordination	+91 9910072916

The session aims to produce practical, targeted, and achievable recommendations that can be adopted by policymakers and regulators to strengthen occupational safety, improve interstate migrant worker protection, and prevent future industrial tragedies, reinforcing the shared commitment to “Zero Harm – Every Worker’s Life Matters.”