5 infra projects to be delayed more

5 infra projects to be delayed more

Shortage Of Guest Workers Results In Such Situation

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.06.2020

Residents may have to continue their battle with traffic on vital junctions after the lockdown is relaxed completely as completion of five flyovers and grade separators in and around Chennai is further delayed due to the acute shortage for guest workers.

These key infrastructure projects executed by the state highways department at a financial outlay of around ₹450crore were already running beyond their schedule.

Construction work at these facilities where mainly migrant workers were employed has been hit.

While paucity for guest workers has pushed their completion by another six months, labourers sourced from other parts of the state have been recruited to carry out emergency work. But, a section of labourers from districts is refusing to travel to Chennai in the wake of spiralling cases of coronavirus in the city and fringes.

Three facilities located at Vandalur Junction on GST Road, one leg of Eechangadu Junction running through Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road and Koyambedu that were planned to be finished by June have been delayed by anywhere between three and six months. The two-level grade separator at Vijayanagar Junction and Medavakkam, the longest flyover in Chennai running for 2.3km, are expected to be completed by December 2020. Ironically, these projects have missed multiple scheduled deadlines since 2018 and suffered inordinate delays owing to land acquisition and contractors abandoning work midway. According to official sources with the highways department, only one fifth of guest workers were available to execute construction work at sites. “There was an instance of a contractor attempting to fly down guest workers from West Bengal to complete flyover work. But, the migrant labourers are not willing to return immediately,” a highways department official said.

Cashing in on the crisis, some local labourers are demanding additional wages, highways department sources said. “We are managing with available workforce as a section of local labourers from other districts does not want to travel to the city due to scare over Covid-19,” another official said.

Meanwhile, Builders Association of India, a body with contractors executing infrastructure projects as its members, is attempting to get guest workers back to Tamil Nadu. The association’s state treasurer S Ramaprabhu said that contractors have also offered to pay wages in advance. “But, guest workers are seeking two-three months for returning to Chennai,” he added.

The flyover under construction at Medavakkam