Coronavirus crisis | Construction work resumes in over 200 projects in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon

Construction work has resumed across more than 200 projects in Delhi-NCR but real estate developers say the biggest challenge they face is that almost 50 percent of the workforce may return to their villages and construction work may get further delayed by six months to a year.

The government on May 4 extended the nationwide lockdown to contain novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, by two more weeks. Construction activities in urban areas have been limited to in-situ construction, where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought in from outside, and construction of renewable energy projects, the guidelines said.

The government has also permitted labourers to return to their hometown.

Real estate developers stopped construction works on sites following the nationwide lockdown imposed from March 25 to contain the pandemic.

Vandana Ramnani

Associate Editor, Real Estate|Moneycontrol News

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The government on April 15 had relaxed guidelines in lockdown 2.0, permitting some construction activity in non-COVID-19 hotspots starting April 20. However, these builders would have to ensure strict social distancing guidelines and were applicable to projects construction workers were locally available on the site.

Under the new guidelines, contractors along with developers will need to ensure that social distancing is maintained at sites and will need to find ways and means of achieving it. For basic hygiene and safety precautions, companies can regularly sanitise sites and provide labourers with masks, soap and sanitisers for washing hands frequently.

Secretary, housing and urban affairs ministry, Durga Shanker Mishra tweeted that work on the construction of 2,800 flats under slum development project of Delhi Development Authority in Kathputli Colony has commenced in “these testing times when the whole country is under lockdown because of the spread of COVID19 pandemic.”

“We are looking at absorbing more manpower from within Delhi and have requested for transfer of skilled workers languishing in shelter camps. We are maintaining the highest standards of safety, hygiene and well-being.  Structure and finishing have been started simultaneously and if we are able to manage even current level of workers availability, we may offer possession for the first batch for possession within 120 working days subject to availability of external infrastructure,” said Navin M Raheja, CMD, Raheja Developers Ltd whose company is constructing the project.

All construction sites across the country will have a COVID-19 marshal or a nodal officer to ensure that health, sanitation and hygiene measures are being followed.

Mishra also said in his tweet that detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for construction sites have been chalked out. “All construction material arriving at the site will be kept idle at the designated site for three days. Thereafter, packaged material and pipes, fittings will be disinfected to curb the spread of the virus among workers,” he tweeted.

Bathroom and toilet usage has been scheduled to avoid crowding. There is a strict ban on the usage of gutka, tobacco, pan and meals are to be consumed at designated areas on the sites. Workers or engineers will have to pay a hefty fine if they do not abide by these rules,” he tweeted.

“Checklists and audits will be conducted on a daily basis. Only 50 percent of the engineering staff is allowed at the site and they would need to commute by their private vehicles. Entry of unnecessary visitors is strictly prohibited,” he tweeted.

“Mandatory thermal scanning of everyone entering the construction site will also be done,” the SOPs said.

NAREDCO-Uttar Pradesh President RK Arora told Moneycontrol that construction has resumed in projects in Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.

“Construction has restarted at our sites in Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway from May 5. As many as 4,500 labourers are working across our sites,” he said.

The company has taken all precautions and is complying with the SOPs stipulated by the district administration for the safety of the workers such as thermal scanning of body temperature, wearing masks, mandatory sanitation sprays for workers and maintaining social distancing norms, he said.

However, he said a lot of migrant workers may want to return to their native place following the central government’s permission. “This is our biggest fear and if that happens, projects may get delayed by almost a year,” he said.

The Noida Authority has granted permission to 17 group housing builder projects with 3,100 labour, 34 other industry or commercial construction with 2,200 labour and 30 Noida Authority projects with around 650 labour, Noida Authority sources said.

As many as 55 real estate projects had applied for permission to Greater Noida Authority to resume construction work and 51 of them have been given the nod to restart work at their sites.

In Ghaziabad, the administration issued guidelines for resuming construction work on May 4. Gaurav Gupta, President, CREDAI NCR, said Ghaziabad administration has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) under which permission to restart construction would be issued online. In some sites, COVID marshals will also be deputed.

"Around 40 projects have been granted permission to restart construction in Ghaziabad," Gupta said.

Ghaziabad Development Authority has decided to appoint COVID marshals at construction sites in the city to ensure that norms specified by the health department and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) directed by the Authority are being adhered to.

“Construction has been permitted only for labourers residing within the site. We have conducted medical tests on all our labourers and are complying with all the guidelines and observing social distancing norms,” he said.

“Our biggest worry is that almost 50 percent labourers wish to return to their hometown and that would delay the project further,” he said.

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has also allowed work to resume at 60 construction sites, provided workers reside on the premises and social distancing norms are followed, CEO VS Kundu had told Moneycontrol.

“Around 60 sites have been given permission to restart construction in Gurugram. The chief consideration was that labour should be staying on the premises and they should not be transported,” Kundu, who is also additional Chief Secretary of Haryana, said.

Parveen Jain, Vice Chairman, NAREDCO and CMD, Tulip Infratech Pvt, told Moneycontrol his firm received GMDA’s permissions to restart work at three sites.

“As many as 500 labourers are currently residing across the three sites. The biggest challenge is to retain them now. We had a total of 800 before the pandemic broke out,” Jain said.

Jain said availability of cement was proving to be a big challenge. “It (a bag of cement) is currently retailing at Rs 350 per bag. We have requested the government to step in and resolve the matter,” he said, adding there should be no supply chain hindrances or it would lead to another six months of delay.

Before the lockdown, a bag of 50-kg cement retailed for Rs 180.

Signature Global Group has been granted permission to resume construction across 17 projects in Gurugram and Karnal, said Chairman Pradeep Aggarwal, who is also the chairman of ASSOCHAM National Council on Real Estate, Housing and Urban Development.