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Builders raise doubts about procurement of raw material in Pune
According to Merchant, there are around 10,000 projects (small, large capacity) underway in city’s Baner, Pashan, Balewadi, PMRDA (Bhugaon, Mhalunge and Sus road) and in PCMC areas.
PUNE Following the government order on commencing construction work from May 4 the Pune district administration has allowed resumption of construction activity in the areas outside the Covid-19 (coronavirus) containment zones within the city limits. While real estate body Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (Credai) has welcomed the move, it raised apprehension about the execution of order given the lack of clarity on the supply of raw material.
“We are allowing under-construction works in non- affected areas in Pune district, including non-containment zones in the city,” said district collector Naval Kishore Ram. He added the move was aimed at discouraging migrant workers from returning home.
Suhas Merchant, president, Credai, said, “Although the offices in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will still be closed, the sites will open even as we have to apply for permissions with local offices for engineers and supervisors to reach the site. There is also a confusion on how we are going to procure raw material, without which we cant restart any construction activity.”
According to Merchant, there are around 10,000 projects (small, large capacity) underway in city’s Baner, Pashan, Balewadi, PMRDA (Bhugaon, Mhalunge and Sus road) and in PCMC areas.
“We want to complete several of the work onsite, on the basement, mezzanines before the rainy season and hopefully within the next two to three days, we should have clarity on where we stand with more than 10,000 projects underway,” he said.
According to the order issued by Ram, health screening of labourers should be done twice a week while only those workers who are physically fit will be permitted to work. The order states that all pre-monsoon related works including flood protection, waterproofing, construction of retaining walls and backfilling etc have been allowed at the construction sites in the non-containment zones.
Shrikant Paranjape of Paranjape Constructions, said, “We are ready to begin work tomorrow provided my engineers can reach the sites. As of now, it looks difficult with some parts of the city under the red zone, though our work sites are all outside Pune, we will begin work as soon as we have clarity over the issue of raw materials and goods reaching the site.”
Some of the other developers and builders, plan to take some days to take stock of what is in store.
“We plan to do a formal assessment of the post COVID infrastructure, for with the new orders allowing the migrant labourers also to travel back to their homes, we need to find out how many are there, only then can we begin,” Ranjit Naik Navare of Naik Navare Associates.
Ram said,“ We have received many complaints from the labour camps that they were frustrated sitting idle with no work and no pay. These two factors made us open up the interstate travel permissions, and also the permission to open the construction sites where we are sure social distancing will be followed with work only within the sites and no one allowed from outside.”
“We have also allowed goods, raw materials to the site,” he added.
