As they risk their lives

Think of Namma Metro and the image of a man wearing a yellow or white jacket and a yellow plastic helmet comes to one’s mind.

The people behind the fast-moving train are working in the harsh sun, heavy rain and biting cold.
These workers live away from their families for years to make life easy for the common man and turn Bangalore into a world-class city. 

They do eight-hour shifts and come from different parts of the country like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

“We have not employed any female workers or children. It is only single men who work with us,” says Satish, a project leader on the job.

The workers are provided  decent accommodation and hygienic food and paid as per their skills. “We have divided the labourers into different categories like unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers. The wages are paid accordingly. The pay could vary from Rs 329 to 465 a week,” says Chinmoy Mukherjee, Deputy GM of CICl. 

The safety of the workers has become a huge concern as they work in risky conditions. Pradeep Kharola, the managing director of BMRCL, says, “The safety of the workers is very important. We have certain safety norms to adhere to. They are provided with safety gloves, helmets, reflective jackets, nose mask, ear plugs, safety shoes and other protective devices.”

The workers are also instructed to follow safety standards. For instance, except the driver, all the other workers are instructed to stay away from the crane.

They are also advised to wear protective equipment when working with fire. To ensure that these safety measures are up to the mark, security officers are present at all construction sites.
The BMRCL has also appointed a doctor, who is available round the clock.

“In case of an emergency,  first-aid is readily available and the doctor is just a call away. He even comes to the site every week to check on us and we can meet him without any hesitation,” says Dhananjay, a 26-year-old worker from West Bengal, who had met with a minor accident on duty. 

Despite all the facilities, are the workers happy? “I have been working as a carpenter here for the past three years and get paid Rs 19,000 a year,” says Pralaysamajpati from West Bengal.

Ramlal, another worker, says, “If there is a sudden emergency at home, the company permits me to go to my hometown. People here are very friendly. I feel at home with my colleagues.” 
The workers get an hour’s break to eat together.

This is the time they share a little joke, chit-chat with each other and fall into a short slumber under a tree.