The (work) force behind Lucknow Metro

These people may be belonging to different parts of the country, but they have made Lucknow their ‘karmabhoomi’ with the objective of seeing the Metro project through.

Meet the planners, technicians, administrators and labourers who

worked relentlessly for construction agency – Larsen & Turbo – commissioned by Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) for the project.

The project, which was rolled out in September 2014, had 150 L&T staff and 350 labourers. Hindustan Times randomly spoke to a cross-section of people who worked for Lucknow’s dream project since the start and have stayed on.

Coming from various corners of India, most of them are youngsters. Some were ‘just married’ when they came to Lucknow, few are bachelors at present, some are to be married soon while others left their family behind and made Lucknow their temporary home.

We trace their antecedents, talk about their family, routine and stay in the city.

SANJAY SINGH GANGWAR

Gangwar is currently a project manager. (HT Photo)

The Kanpurite has been working with different companies on metro projects for 17 years. “I left Kanpur in 1995 and since 2000 started working for various metro projects in New Delhi. I am with this company since 2012, and in August 2015, I joined the LMRC project as a deputy project manager,” he says.

Gangwar says coming to Lucknow was very special for him. “With my hometown a few kilometers away, it was a great feeling that finally metro was coming to UP. The greatest feeling was that I was chosen for the project that was completed in record time, he adds. Gangwar is currently a project manager.

His family is in Delhi, which has become his home since 2000. “My father belonged to Farrukabad while mother is from Kanpur. We migrated to Kanpur due to work where I grew up and then work took me to Delhi, which has now my home. My son is pursuing engineering while my daughter is in Class 12. My wife, a homemaker, takes care of them while I keep travelling to Delhi every fortnight to see them,” he tells.

Gangwar says he hasn’t been able to meet his family for three months due to CMRS inspection in Lucknow. “These are hazards of transferable job, but then one has a lot of satisfaction when hard work pays off. Now, I have been transferred to the second phase of the project (Munshipulia). We will expedite work as we need to complete it by December 2018.”

Another silver lining for him is that Kanpur metro project is also shaping up.

AVIK DUTTA

A native of Kolkata, he came to Lucknow in January 2015 where he joined as deputy planning manager. “Before I came here, I worked on a flyover project in Hyderabad, a port in Odisha and Kolkata Metro. During that period the foundation of Transport Nagar depot area was being laid,” he tells.

Dutta says the workforce faced the challenge of working on the ‘fastest metro project’, but they were confident as land was defined.

Initially for six months, he stayed in a guest house and then brought his wife and small kid to Lucknow. “I rented a house in Ashiana. My son is now 3 and a half years and I plan to put him in a good school. I hope to stay on in the city till the next phase (Munshipulia stretch),” he says.

YATINDRA SINGH

This senior engineer comes from Ghaziabad and has been working with L&T for the last seven years. “Before coming to Lucknow in October 2015, I worked on NHAI’s road project in Nashik and Faridabad metro project.”

“Since then I have been continuously doing night shifts as our main work starts after blocking the road at 11 pm. It’s typically 8:30 pm to 8:30 am routine,” he says, adding that he has the experience of working for 24 to 36 hours at a stretch in crucial situations.

He got married in January 2015, few months before he came to Lucknow. “I got married in Kasganj. After I shifted to LMRC project, my wife stayed back in Ghaziabad. Last year, I brought her to Lucknow and a rented a house here. My son has now turned 1,” he adds.

Yatindra says workers have an erratic eating habits due to night shifts. “You can’t have dinner at 8 pm and work overnight. Sab aise hi chalta hai... when I used to feel hungry in late night hours, our saviour was bun-makkhan,” he says with a smile.

RAHUL BHUSHAN SRIWASTAVA

Hailing from Bihar and brought up in Ranchi, he joined Lucknow Metro project in January 2015. He is currently a construction manager. Prior to this, he has worked with Delhi Metro.

“Completing the project in two years and seven months was a big task. Earlier, similar work had been completed in three and a half years. But, his was made possible due to team effort – company, supplier and client LMRC. We saved 30% time abiding by our company’s motto: safety and quality,” he says.

A bachelor, Rahul is looking forward to getting married with a Varanasi girl in October. “There is lot of pressure from family. But then one needs free environment, some holidays and peace. In full work mode, all this is not possible. Now, that metro is operational and second package is going on, I had to give in to family pressure,” he says.

Rahul says Lucknow will be special to him as he is entering a new phase of life from this city. “I hope to stay on for may be two more years till Munshipulia stretch is completed.”

RAHUL DEV YADAV

A native of Chapra district in Bihar, he is currently station in-charge with the Metro project. Working in this company for last five years, he has worked for Faridabad metro project before coming to Lucknow in June 2015.

Better road management was required for construction of stations for which the team had to struggle with locals. “It’s true that people had to face a lot of inconvenience while the metro was being built. This was very challenging as we were working in the middle of the main artery of the city. But, people are very sweet here and co-operated with us,” he says.

Rahul says the main problem they faced was from outstation commuters who used Kanpur Road as a highway and at times engaged in heated arguments. “The marshals and security team handled them well. The local administration and police too had to step in at times, but all went off well,” he recalls.

He is staying with his wife in a rented home in Krishna Nagar. Rahul is a station in-charge and lives near his work station.