The lockdown, imposed across the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, has hit hard, among others, the construction industry in Visakhapatnam, which is facing the worst-ever crisis. Scarcity of sand, cement and other materials due to the non-availability of transport has resulted in most of the big real estate projects coming to an abrupt halt.
It all started with a lull in the industry due to scarcity of sand about eight months ago. The sand availability improved and prospects looked bright with construction activity picking up pace towards the end of last year. This, however, did not last long as ongoing projects ran out of building materials due to the lockdown and the workers were rendered jobless.
There are an estimated 1.5 lakh migrant workers, mostly from Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, who come to the city for work every day. They travel mostly by passenger trains from various villages and towns in both the districts. They reach the labour points, at various areas in the city like Isukathota, Seethammapeta and NAD Kotha Road by ‘share autos’ or city buses.
An additional 50,000 workers are estimated to be living in the city. This apart, there are thousands of workers from other States, working at major construction projects.
There are hundreds of workers from the far-flung villages of neighbouring Odisha State, who are stranded at big construction projects at Endada due to lack of work. There are labourers from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh also working at these sites.
“We obtained permissions from the authorities concerned to permit the workers to go home. The workers received messages from their family members, asking them not to come till the lockdown was lifted as the village elders were apprehensive that the virus would spread to their village. We are arranging food for them,” says Cheruvu Ramakotaiah, former vice-president of the Builder’s Association of India.
“They (workers) will not stay here after the lockdown is lifted as they would be eager to meet their family members back home. The problems are likely to haunt the builders for at a least a couple of months,” he says.
“Though the realty sector has suffered a temporary setback, we are sure it will bounce back in two to three months after which the prices are sure to escalate,” said CREDAI Visakhapatnam chapter president Srinivasa Rao.