Akola construction halted over water shortage, workers head back to villages
The collector has stopped building work in Akola district to protect drinking water, leaving workers jobless and traders facing losses.
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Akola district is facing a severe water shortage, with conditions resembling a drought. Giving first priority to drinking water, the collector has imposed an immediate ban on construction work under way in the district. The decision has hit the local construction business directly, and thousands of workers and traders who depend on the sector, directly or indirectly, are now in financial distress.
After the ban, hundreds of daily-wage workers in Akola city and surrounding areas suddenly lost their work. With no work in hand, meeting daily expenses has become difficult. Many workers who had come from other districts and rural areas have therefore decided to return to their villages, and migration of construction workers has increased.
The impact is not limited to cement and brick traders. Those selling tiles, hardware, plumbing material, paint and steel bars are also affected. Sales of and demand for tiles have slowed considerably. Goods are lying in traders' warehouses, and business worth crores of rupees has been affected.
Under the collector's order, constructions that were about to begin, and those less than 70 per cent complete, have been stopped immediately. It has therefore become impossible to start new construction as well. Some projects that have reached the final stage are continuing, but a shortage of workers has slowed their pace.
The sudden ban has put developers, contractors and small and big traders in difficulty. They are asking how to pay bank instalments, shop rent and employees' salaries. Construction businessmen and allied traders say proper arrangements for water are necessary, but the government should make some other arrangement for the employment problem created by the ban on construction. This is the demand they are making.
Workers from Madhya Pradesh make up a large share of the workforce in Akola's construction business. Many workers from Betul district in particular work here. With construction shut, the question of their livelihood has become serious. With regular work and income stopped, many workers are worried about feeding their families.
