Labourers need to be treated better by the construction sector and given better working conditions in the post Covid-19 era. All such steps, such as providing better working conditions, adopting social distancing and sanitisation of work space, will lead to higher costs in the construction sector.

This was one of the points made by Ircon International Ltd’s Chairman and Managing Director, Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, while speaking at a conference of PHDCCI, an industry body. Ircon is a ₹5,000-crore construction firm of the Railways.

Chaudhary said that after the lockdown was lifted, while Ircon has started work on several projects in green zones in Karnataka, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir, one positive case of Covid-19 leads to stoppage of work.

The CMD added that a large number of labourers have gone back to their villages and many may not come back before September. Also, some may not come back before March 2020 next year, or before a vaccine or some medicine is discovered, indicating they are unlikely to return before they feel safe.

The construction sector may have to look at adopting technology even though it may be much more expensive, added Chaudhary.

There is Covid-19 fear in the minds of people, prompting family members to prevent people from heading back, said PHDCCI representatives.

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