No labourers: Construction, coffee estates hit hard

The return of labourers to their native places has affected construction activities and work in the farmland in the district.

Estate owners have to depend on the local labourers for the work now.

Labourers from Ballari, Gadag, Raichur, Koppala, Chitradurga, Yadgir, Haveri and other districts had migrated to the coffee land and were working at estates, hotels and construction sites. However, more than 3,500 stranded labourers have already returned to their villages.

As Chikkamagaluru is in the green zone, all the activities have started with the relaxation of the lockdown. With the exit of the labourers, the construction contractors and estate owners are worried.

Coffee grower A G Girish of Avuthi said, "There were 20 permanent labourers and 70 migrant labourers in my estate. They have returned to their native places."

He said the region has been receiving rain for the last few days. "We have to take up the work on removing the weeds, application of manure and other works in the coffee estate. We are finding it difficult to take up the work without the labourers," he added.

The construction contractors are also finding it difficult to arrange labourers to take up the work. "It is difficult to manage construction activities without labourers. The work may be delayed," contractor Manjunath said.

The district has 14,715 plantation labourers.