Second wave puts brakes on Jaipur Development Authority’s big ticket infra projects

JAIPUR: The curfew imposed during the second wave of Covid has resulted in slowing down the Jaipur Development Authority’s big budget infrastructure projects in the state capital.
The state government allowed construction activities during the curfew but the spread of the infection among supervisory staff and labourers stalled all works. The JDA will be forced to extend project deadlines of almost seven projects by a period of six months to one year.
An official said, “After the digging of Ramniwas Bagh underground project started, the chief designer of the awarded firm succumbed to Covid. The JDA engineer also got infected and in such a situation, the work was affected.”
The JDA is also facing a shortage of manpower at all construction sites due to migration of workers, which stimulated uncertainty over completion of projects on time. A senior official said, “To construct the flyover at Civil Lines the JDA has awarded the work, however, it cannot be initiated. Similarly, Jhotwara elevated road work is also delayed due to shortage of skilled labour and material.”
The work on Sodala elevated road project again encountered a serious setback due to shortage of oxygen. Source said that trained gas cutters and welders are migrating from the city in absence of oxygen. “Many labourers who were involved in welding-related work are migrating in absence of work. It would take long to gather the momentum and restore the resources,” he said.
It was informed at the sites that specialised labour is required as the steel comes in the shape of squares. Cutting them and bridging them together is a very important activity in construction.
The civic body had planned to complete the long-pending project by October-end. However, after the second wave hit the city, sources said the project would not be operational before June 2022.
The work of long pending Rs48-crore Bassi flyover project will also not be completed soon as JDA is waiting for the railway’s nod to start construction over the lines. The project is expected to be delayed by 8 months.