Kadapa: Second wave of Covid badly hits construction workers

Kadapa: The ongoing second wave of coronavirus badly hit the livelihood of construction workers in the district. According to the sources, around 1.75 lakh families from Kadapa city, Rajampet, Railway Kodur, Rayachoti, Proddaturu, Badvel, Mydukuru and Pulivendula towns depend upon the construction sector.

Earlier, the construction workers used to go to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai etc cities for livelihood. After the YSR Congress government came to power in 2019 general elections, the government has taken up irrigation projects, renovation works under Nadu-Nedu, village secretariat buildings and various construction works under Pulivendula Area Development Authority (PAFA) in a big way in the district.

About 25,000 workers arrive at centres like Sandya circle, ZP office, Apsara circle, Almaspet and ITI circle etc in Kadapa city early morning where 'Adda' mediators take the labour for construction works. But due to lack of work in the second wave of Covid, they workers stay at these centres till 11 am and are returning home in disappointment.

Before April, they were fully busy in works pertaining to government projects and private building constructions.

However, with the spread of the second wave of coronavirus the district is recording 900 cases on an average each day. It has also been reporting not less than 10 deaths in every 24 hours. Hence, the construction works have been stopped in the middle and thus the workers have lost their livelihood. "I have wife and two children I used to go for construction work along with my wife as we both earn Rs 800 every day. But for the last one month we have no work due to the spread of Covid-19," said Penchalaiah of Sankarapuram in the city.

Another house construction worker M Ramanamma lamented that they have been facing problems due to Covid for the second successive year. "Last year we have tasted a bitter experience due to lockdown. Now again we are being deprived of any work due to the second wave of coronavirus."