The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has resumed the construction work of its much-delayed Phase IV project and the extension of the Airport Express Line (AEL) and Grey Line (Dwarka-Najafgarh).
In the guidelines on lockdown measures announced by the Union home ministry last month, continuation of work on construction projects was allowed where workers are available on site and no workers are required to be brought from outside. DMRC had prepared a detailed standard operating procedure for the resumption of construction work following the guidelines as workers were available at its sites.
“At present, DMRC had about 3,500 workers available across five to six different sites in the city including actual work sites of Dhansa, Airport Express Line expansion work in Dwarka as well as sites and casting yards for Phase IV projects,” a DMRC official said.
The official said that all guidelines set by the government agencies are being implemented while resuming work and workers have been sensitised about the precautionary guidelines. “Displays with the necessary information regarding social distancing are being installed at the work sites. Masks, sanitisers and thermal scanners are being provided at the sites as well,” the official said. He said DMRC’s engineers are keeping a very close eye at the sites to ensure all norms are followed.
Sources said that limited construction material and machinery were available at the sites for immediate resumption of work and adequate availability of all these materials in the long run may depend on further relaxation of lockdown guidelines.
The 4.3-km-long Dwarka-Najafgarh section of Grey Line was opened to public in October last year and work is going on at its 1.2-km-long underground extension to Dhansa Stand. Construction work has also resumed extending AEL from Dwarka Sector 21 to exhibition-cum-convention centre at Dwarka Sector 25.
Ever since construction work was stopped, DMRC has been ensuring that the nearly 3,500 labourers living in different worker camps and casting yards don’t face any food shortage or health related issues. “All arrangements for food, sanitisation and health check-ups during the lockdown have been undertaken by the contractors and sub-contractors of different projects, which is inspected by our personnel,” the official said.
