After stints at the 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Project, Kaushik Dey’s present assignment at the Integrated Nuclear Recycle project for BARC at Tarapur, is his first to individually handle an entire section from scratch. “I maintain Quality Assurance and Quality Control, ensuring active functioning, testing incoming and final products, implementing PQP & QMS, establishing welding procedure specifications, and creating and following method statements,” he reels off his responsibilities. He adds proudly that he is an Internal Auditor for ISO 9001, 14001 & 45001 too, regularly submitting data to the client to identify and mitigate risks.

“I am grateful to be working with a wonderful and energetic team who eagerly adopt and wholeheartedly support me, always encouraging me to implement new methodologies,” Kaushik remarks, that has propelled him to initiate automation in welding and successfully implement it to fabricate the gantry girder with the client’s approval.

Being an indigenous project, there are very stringent requirements for welding soundness. “At the start of the project, a huge concern was that the repair rate was above acceptance levels,” he recalls with a grimace. “To address it, we adjusted the criteria for welder qualification to meet the requirements with an overall reference to the standard that brought the repair rate well below the maximum allowable limit,” his passion for quality evident in his eyes.

Visibly happy with the launch of the ‘Equalizer-Quality Sanyog’ digital App that monitors project quality activities in real time, Kaushik mentions that he uses it to measure and evaluate data, and implement measures required to keep the quality top-notch at site.

A native of Kolkata, and still single, Kaushik enjoys writing stand-up poetry. “I try to participate in online live shows, but it has been difficult to do so for the past year,” he says with a long face. He also likes travelling to new places and exploring natural locations and ancient architecture.

His association with the L&T family is punctuated by several fond memories, especially those of celebrating their collective achievements, like when their project won the Best Quality Project Award at the 2024 HCI IC townhall and now winning the L&T Construction’s Quality Award 2024. “As an employee of this prestigious organization, I take pride in how L&T continuously pushes the boundaries of technology, infrastructure, and sustainability to build a better future,” Kaushik adds as he signs off. “The Company’s dedication to nation-building and global impact truly make it a great place to work and grow!”

Due to its nature as an indigenous nuclear waste recycle project, the civil works must comply with exceptionally rigorous standards, a prime example being the detailed contingency planning for rebar placement for precise execution. “The need to guarantee long-term safety and structural soundness in a nuclear environment is critical,” Sanjay informs. “The rebar contingency plans account for situations like unexpected obstacles, design alterations, or material discrepancies, and they define specific procedures for preserving the required structural integrity.”

Sanjay feels that his professional growth has been significantly shaped by the guidance and expertise of his seniors and team members. “Their mentorship, knowledge sharing, and collaborative approach have been invaluable in my development, fostering a supportive environment that encourages ownership, problem-solving, and the exchange of ideas,” he says with gratitude, “while the diverse skill sets within the team is broadening my understanding of construction processes.”

Much like his colleagues, Sanjay is happy with the launch of the ‘Equalizer-Quality Sanyog’ and ‘Conease’ digital Apps, which monitor the project’s quality activities in real time, helping him to implement the various measures at site.

A native of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and single, Sanjay loves to escape into the world of films when free to enjoy watching different stories. Stepping through the doorway of his new home was an unforgettable memory for Sanjay: “I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and possibility, knowing that this would be the place where countless memories will unfold.”

As an L&T-ite, Sanjay is inspired by the Company’s leadership in adopting cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices, while delivering world-class projects with the highest standards of quality, safety, and environmental responsibility.

MAKING HIS PARENTS PROUD WITH
HIS ATTENTION TO QUALITY

Ujjwal Kumar

Assistant Construction Manager (Civil), HCI IC

The BARC project at Tarapur is Ujjwal Kumar’s first in L&T, where he is the single point of contact for managing the rebar, shuttering, and concreting activities for the vault slab. “The slab is at an elevation of +7.7 m, inside another slab whose top elevation is +19.5 m, with a single opening of just +600 mm,” he mentions, painting a picture of his responsibilities and challenges. “We must carefully lower 140 embedded parts using tower cranes through the same opening and the rebar manually, using a pulley rope arrangement to remove the material post pour clearance.”

The limited access through the EP openings and a height difference of 11.8 m between the two slabs make the process of placing the concrete extremely difficult, with the added danger of concrete segregation due to the height difference. “To reduce the height of fall of the concrete, we developed an in-house solution by welding a concrete hopper to the concrete pipeline, with the subsequent pipes clamped together and the elephant hose clamped at the terminal end,” Ujjwal elaborates. “By this, we have significantly saved time and minimized multiple handling of concrete by eliminating wheelbarrows or long concrete pipeline assembly.”

The reinforcement was so densely congested that rebar spacing at some junctions was as little as 25–30 mm, demanding the concrete workability to be at par with self-compacting concrete (SCC). Coordinating with the Client, the team provided pockets for pouring high-performance concrete (HPC). “We deploy digital tools like Rebar Pro, Conease, WMA, and Procube that are proving extremely useful for us,” he adds.

Safety risks are aplenty too, such as poor natural ventilation & illumination, danger of falls from height, confined space, and more. “We use exhaust and blower fans to address the risk of asphyxiation, cover EP openings with rebar mesh fabricated from scrap rebars to prevent falls, and use battery-operated lights and LEDs for better visibility,” explains Ujjwal, adding that a rope drum & cup lock mechanism is used to shift materials, eliminating the risk of cut injuries, while walkie-talkies provide seamless communication even in the absence of mobile network inside the vault.

A native of Gaya, Bihar, Ujjwal is married to Alia Sharma, who is pursuing her Master’s in Hindi. They are blessed with a son, Avyay Kashyap. Ujjwal’s favourite hobby is exploring ancient places and recalls graduating his B.Tech. in first class with distinction as his most memorable moment. “I will never forget my parents proclaiming, ‘Proud of you, my boy!’” he signs off, his eyes glistening.

L&T is Darshit Gorecha’s first company to work for and he undoubtedly loves the company he keeps. “I’ll never forget the day I was recruited into L&T after completing my diploma course,” he shares with barely concealed exuberance that has characterised his tenure first at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project – 7 & 8 for the Common Service Package, then for the construction of the Natural Draft Cooling Towers, and presently, at the Integrated Nuclear Recycle Project at BARC, Tarapur.

Working as per the client’s specifications, the project team created a procedure to erect the ventilation pipe & thimble tube that was approved by the client before the start of the job, according to Darshit. “In this method, we introduced changes that have helped us complete our tasks quicker and more easily like the introduction of fabricated jigs for alignment and motorized chain pulley blocks & scissor lifts for erection.”

Speaking of challenges at his project, Darshit mentions work with stainless steel pipes & plates needing more attention to protect from contamination and thimble tube & ventilation pipes requiring precleaning before installation, as they are being used for long-term storage of nuclear waste. “We have added high pressurized water pumps with nozzles to thoroughly clean the 11 m closed-end pipes, thus eliminating manual work,” he reveals. “This way, the cleaning has been thorough while the productivity rate has also increased.” On the digital front, he mentions using the Equaliser-Sanyog App, and the SHEILD App for safety.

Support from his seniors has been a big reason for his success. “Whenever I faced conflict or any difficulty, my seniors guided me to solve the issue, and ensure smooth progress at site, instilling confidence in me to face any challenging situation and conquer it,” he smiles.

Hailing from Jamnagar in Gujarat, Darshit is married to Hetal, a homemaker and his hobbies include listening to music, travelling, and exploring new locations.

A proud L&T-ite, he says, “We are India’s most reputed engineering and construction organization, known for our commitment to engineering, sustainability, quality, safety, and excellence and in addition, L&T provides a lot of opportunities to grow in our careers, supporting us for higher studies to sustain ourselves in the market. I am proud to be a Nation Builder too!”

ENSURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
THROUGH QUALITY

Afrojkhan Barkatkhan Pathan

Senior Engineer (QA/QC), HCI IC

“I am proud to be working in a professionally managed Indian MNC that has such an admirable work culture and is employee-driven,” exults Afrojkhan Pathan. “We work together, and all the departments collaborate for a common goal to create value for our customers, employees, and the environment.” These lofty ideals are what he has imbibed and brought into play, initially at the iconic Mumbai Coastal Road Project (Package 4), his first project with L&T, and thereafter at the Vitrified Storage & Control Buildings Project at BARC, Tarapur, a winner of the L&T Construction Quality Award 2024.

How did the team win this much-coveted recognition? Afrojkhan throws light on their secret sauce: “One of our key initiatives has been to implement a comprehensive quality management system that includes regular training programmes for the team, stringent quality checks at every stage, and the effort to sustain a culture of continuous improvement. After that, it is all about teamwork,” he says with a broad grin. He mentions about a dedicated team that oversees the implementation of rigorous quality assurance processes and informs, “My responsibilities include concrete works for major congested pours like the vault slab, slipform concrete work, and the uniquely shaped water tank, all performed through meticulous and strategic quality management.”

Customer satisfaction is a key deliverable at the BARC Tarapur site. “A lot of things go into achieving this,” says Afrojkhan sensibly, “like promptly responding to and resolving quality-related issues and submitting the relevant compliance reports within the target date.” He is thankful for the Quality Apps Conpro and Quality Equaliser, which have helped the team immensely in ensuring that the client is satisfied. “Our digital technologies have been completely integrated into our processes that help us to record observations digitally and communicate effectively,” he says purposefully.

With roots in Borsuri village in Maharashtra’s Latur district, Afrojkhan is married to Bushra Pathan, who is a doctor. When he isn’t too busy driving quality at his sites, Afrojkhan enjoys playing sports like cricket, volleyball, and football. Speaking about memorable moments in his life, receiving the Quality Trophy and, more recently, winning L&T Construction’s Quality Award for the BARC Tarapur Project, stand out for him.