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Labour shortage hits Pune Metro again, won’t meet deadline
The Pune Metro will not meet its deadline for a trial run in the month of May after more than 2,000 labourers have returned home due to the fear of stricter restrictions and lack of work
The Pune Metro will not meet its deadline for a trial run in the month of May after more than 2,000 labourers have returned home due to the fear of stricter restrictions and lack of work.
A senior consultant who was part of the Pune Metro project lost his life due to Covid-19 in his hometown in Karnataka, causing a sense of fear among workers.
As compared to last year, the spread and infection rate of Covid-19 is high, however, the Maharashtra Metro Railway Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has taken care of workers in terms of food, stay and vaccinations.
Despite better arrangements for food and stay, workers are returning back to their hometowns. Till date, more than 2,000 workers have gone back to their hometowns and the trend is on an upward rise.
Last year, of 6,500 workers, only 800 were on duty after the government made arrangements for trains in the month of June 2020. This year, there are no restrictions on traveling and trains are also available to workers to return to their hometowns.
Pune Metro had decided to take a trial run on the Vanaz-Ramwadi corridor using coaches belonging to the Nagpur Metro. They brought three coaches from Nagpur in the first week of March 2021 for a trial run. The Metro had decided to start a trial run on the Vanaz-Ramwadi corridor on one kilometre stretch from Vanaz depot to Anand Nagar by the month of May.
According to officials, the trial run was scheduled in the period from March to May but, now it is not possible due to the shortage of manpower. The work has been disturbed, and a similar situation is reported from the PCMC –Swargate corridor. After conducting a six kilometre trial run between PCMC to Phugewadi in the first week of January, Maha-Metro had decided to start commercial operation on this stretch in the period of May or June before civic polls. Now, it looks difficult to complete the work as per the set deadline.
Hemant Sonwane, general manager of Maha-Metro said, “Till date more than 2,000 workers have returned to their hometowns. We have more than 6,000 workers. At present, there are 35- 40 workers undergoing treatment. We are providing medical facilities, food and medical advance. “
He further added, “The metro project work will get affected in this situation and we will have to revise our work schedule. Last year, labours went in June and they returned in the Diwali festival season. We had made arrangements for private buses. Now, we are hoping, the second wave will not last long and labourers will come back after the situation normalises in the city.”
Consultant dies due to Covid-19
A 54-year-old senior level officer died to Covid-19 infection in his hometown in Karnataka while taking treatment at a private hospital. He was a consultant in the Pune Metro project. As many as 121 workers have tested positive for Covid-19, however, some of them recovered.
Sonawane said,” The consultant was not paid for the Pune metro project. Metro has outsourced different works, he was one of them. We didn’t know whether he was infected at work or not. He had taken leave and gone to his hometown.”
“There are no casualties recorded in the first and second wave so far. All workers above 45 years of age have been vaccinated. From May 1, as the new norms come into effect, we will start vaccinating all above 18 years of age,” he added.
