Construction Workers Locked Down & Out!

30 Mar 2020 Editorial Team

Photo courtesy: Reuters

The Lock Down announcement, in view of the current situation of the Coronavirus or COVID-19 plaguing the economy, should have also provided for the living and travel guidelines for the migrant labour at construction sites. Although the Finance Minister has announced a Construction Workers' Fund , in India, most of the migrant labourers are provided bare living facilities on the construction sites. With the sites being closed under the Lock Down, the construction workers had no option but to fend for themselves. In the absence of any advisory and fearing that they would run out of their accumulated bare minimum savings, since most send all income back to their villages, they decided to walk home. Thousands have chosen to walk from Delhi to villages in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal from where they hailed. They would rather rely on the savings back home, their means of subsistence in a bit of land that they own and the family.

Watch this video going viral on construction workers.

Video courtesy: TOI Bareilly

Read my Open Letter to the Finance Minister with recommendations to help the real estate and construction industry recover from the Coronavirus Impact or Covid-19 Impact here.

Also read the Coronavirus or COVID-19 impact of real estate here.

Telangana Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) KT Rama Rao had convened a meeting with the Construction & Builders' Association representatives and stated that all the construction and infrastructure companies should take care of the migrant labourers who are working at their sites. Some of the companies have provided such facilities. This directive comes in a bit late as hordes of migrant workers are already on their way home in many states.

A redeeming feature is that several villages have barricaded themselves in and have made it mandatory for the returning city dwellers to accept a 14-day quarantine outside the outskirts of the village in a makeshift residential facility to prevent infection in the villages. This has happened in Maharashtra and in Andhra Pradesh.

About the Author:
Pratap Padode is Founder, ASAPP Info Global Group, and Editor-in-Chief, CONSTRUCTION WORLD. He is also Founder & Executive Director at FIRST Construction Council and Smart Cities Council India.

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..