Second wave of COVID-19: this is how NHAI, contractor left work behind

June 24, 2021  

In early April, officials and contractors deliberately brought home the message that in the current pandemic, workers are much better off and safer staying in their labor camps than going to their villages.

To ensure workers had good reason to fall behind despite the challenges of COVID-19, contractors working on National Roads Authority of India (NHAI) projects worked overtime. At the end of April, some 5,000 highway construction workers were infected with the new coronavirus, according to official data. Now that number of workers has been reduced to about 2,000 across all 480 NHAI projects involving the construction of 25,000 kilometers of roads at more than Rs 5 lakh crore, according to an IE report. In early April, officials and contractors deliberately brought home the message that in the current pandemic, workers are much better off and safer staying in their labor camps than going to their villages.

NHAI Chairman SS Sandhu was quoted in the report as saying that road authority contractors and construction companies have learned from last year's experience. Staff are also realizing that if they choose to return to their villages, all these conveniences - such as medical insurance, vaccinations, isolation rooms, food, oxygen-equipped ambulances - may not be so readily available, Sandhu said. Because the government has insisted that vaccines were the only real protection against COVID-19, the NHAI organized around 700 vaccination camps at their workplaces across the country.

Subsequently, about 2,700 beds were made available for Covid-positive workers in isolation rooms installed at the project sites. In addition, ambulances equipped with oxygen were also deployed. NHAI regional offices were activated to coordinate with district administrations and contractors at the project sites. COVID-19 testing also became routine for all contractors. The life insurance coverage of NHAI officials was also increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

Officials had said that since workforce deployment is tailored to the needs of contractors, it is difficult to estimate the exact number of workers deployed across the country on any given day. However, NHAI said that contractors reported only 10-15% fewer workers compared to the end of March this year. According to officials, workers who went to their villages in early April are also being returned by contractors. Sandhu said there is a positive outlook among workers to return to the project workshop and that project contractors are facilitating their safe return.

This is because India's top road developers have learned from last year's closure, when they lost some of their best months due to the road construction pandemic. Despite this, the highway authority had built 4,192 kilometers of national highways in the year 2020-21, the highest number to date. The NHAI, aiming to beat last fiscal year's construction record, has instructed field offices to accelerate road construction whenever possible, as traffic is still low due to road-related restrictions. pandemic, the report adds.