Overview
- A Guardian report, echoed by U.S. outlets, quotes workers who say they developed silicosis and other serious lung diseases during construction and that two colleagues, Ramesh Meena and Devi Lal, later died from silicosis.
- Silicosis is an incurable lung disease caused by breathing fine silica dust from cutting or carving stone, and experts say tight‑fitting respirators and exposure controls can prevent it.
- Workers interviewed said stone carving and weatherproofing left them exposed without proper protective gear, and they also described grueling hours, very low pay, restricted movement, long separation from family, and alleged misuse of religious worker visas.
- BAPS rejected the accounts and said it provided respirators and N95 masks, hard hats, boots, and gloves, kept a certified OSHA officer on site daily, and covered medical care and insurance, while stating it sees no link between the reported deaths and work at the site.
- A 2021 civil lawsuit over labor conditions remains active, BAPS has said the Justice Department closed its investigation last year, and no independent medical or regulatory finding has confirmed the alleged workplace cause of the illnesses.