WATER AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT IC
Sajeev CM,
Site Accountant,
Surya Water Supply Scheme
By now, Sajeev CM, Site Accountant, Surya Water Supply Scheme, has perfected the art of saying ‘You are in safe hands’ in as many ways as possible and has kept that promise to the workmen and employees at site. “Our major scope of work involves pipeline laying along NH 8 through multiple villages where the good work and assurance has to be continuously maintained,” highlights Sajeev.
Our mantra was to carry on with our initiatives, orient workmen and other stakeholders, accordingly, mentions Sajeev. “It was a slightly different role for in addition to our functional scope, we had the onus of motivating workmen to stay safe in their colonies and be aware of the situation while not getting into a panic mode.” A simple approach paid handsome rewards, shares Sajeev, “We identified a few among us as state wise leaders and split the task of communicating with the workmen based on their regional affinities and it worked wonders. On one hand it conveyed to the workmen that they were important to us while it also enhanced their awareness on the do’s and don’ts along with the ill effects of any mindless migration ideas that they might have had.”
On the external front, Sajeev and team adapted a proactive approach to mitigate the challenges on course, “We offered our services to the District Administration in some of their response efforts which made the locals understand that we stand by them. With our actions speaking louder than our words, the good word started to spread with tensions easing in sensitive areas thereby enabling us to take up site activities.”
Though having worked as a lead accountant in two major water supply projects, this was an entirely new experience for Sajeev which he acknowledges was possible to tide through with the support of the seniors at site. “With the site resuming operations, the responsibilities are larger now, but with team members pulling their weight, we are on the right track,” assures Sajeev.
In these testing times, Sajeev has the advantage of his family by him, “With my wife Nejna, a home maker, daughters Safni and Samrin, it is a pleasant feeling when I return home after a hard day’s work.” Of course, he points out, “There is always a risk but with our comprehensive health screening and safety measures, I’m well secured,” he declares.
Vinayak Prasad Arakere,
Construction Manager (Civil) – WET IC
Unlike as in India, some countries have decided against a total lockdown perhaps putting greater onus on citizens to follow safety protocols to escape from the Corona virus like has been the case for Vinayak Prasad Arakere, Construction Manager (Civil), at the Industrial Area Sewage Treatment Works – Phase III A Project in Qatar. Even as the fight against COVID-19 rages, his larger focus has been on keeping his site activities ticking without any disruption. “We were working in two shifts and the challenge was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of workmen during operations, during their commute to and from the site and even at their quarters.”
“In such crisis situations, good, clear communication is very important as we needed to educate and update the workmen on the pandemic, make them aware of the do’s and don’ts especially during the early days.” Monitoring was another crucial factor that was done at different levels, indicates Vinayak, “Health screening was a daily activity in line with the SOPs but breaking down the safety process was important.” Today, there are many videos on
how factories have resumed work with a charter of guidelines. “But, since we have been functioning right through without a break, we have had to formulate a ground zero policy keeping our work milestones in mind and kudos to the team for detailing the process.”
Whether an engineer, administrator, accountant, roles did not matter as every member of the core team took up the responsibility of motivating and guiding the workmen, points out Vinayak, “In a way, this stitched a bond that kept all of us connected, safe and updated on the developments.” While the site team fights its collective battle, Vinayak has an interesting perspective, “All of us here, workmen, employees, consultants and client representatives are heroes in our own way for having worked every single day, trusted in each another and emerged stronger for the experience. The step ahead is in the right direction,” he avers.
As Vinayak holds fort in a foreign land, his wife, Deepti, who is a practicing pathologist specialising in cancer diagnosis and care at Bengaluru, awaits anxiously for his daily updates, and every time they wrap up their conservation, it is a bitter sweet moment for her: fearing his health but proud of what he is achieving.
Udayabhanu Jena,
Assistant Manager, Cuttack Waste Water Network
While reacting to situations is a common approach, being prepared will always put you a step ahead in the game and for IR practitioners like Udayabhanu Jena, Assistant Manager at the Cuttack Waste Water Network, this has been his guiding work philosophy. “Though this is my first project at L&T, every site that I have been associated with over the last 16 years is unique from an IR point of view as one has to quickly familiarize oneself with the local language, understand the mindset of the people, review and implement systems and procedures without compromise,” shares Jena as he is referred to by his colleagues.
Acknowledging the gravity of these challenging times, Jena had the huge responsibility of ensuring that more than 400 workmen were taken through the safety process without any disruption. “The good thing in IR is that handling labour and administrative issues opens up a channel with the workmen which makes communication easier as their trust is gained.” At this juncture, the project team took a clear call, “Local workmen were assured that they could go home once their travel safety was confirmed while the rest had the option to stay back,” adds Jena.
With a long list of priorities, Jena made the right moves, “Getting vehicle passes was important as it was only way, we could reach the camps spread across the city of Cuttack. Thanks to my rapport with the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Municipal Commissioner, the access permits were secured.” With 128 workmen opting to stay back, the task was cut out to ensure their safety and wellbeing. “We didn’t want to take any chances and went by the MHA and Management directives to implement the SOPs,” highlights Jena.
“From the IR side, our team had one member always present at the camps, while a team visit was organized twice a week. The good work drew the attention of the District Labour Officer who visited the camp and appreciated the initiatives with a commendation. It was a fulfilling moment not only for the team but also for the workmen as it was a testimony from the governing authority on how well L&T cares for its workmen.”
“The L&T culture of teamwork and being supportive at all times is something that has inspired me and my family,” shares Jena, “My wife Shubhashree Rout who runs a business and daughter Sanaya feel proud of my achievement during such a crucial period and we salute L&T for having stood by the nation by donating 150 crores and taken care of all workmen and employees.”
Randeep Singh,
Assistant Manager IR & Admin
The lockdown regime for Randeep Singh, Assistant Manager IR & Admin, at Narmada Kshipra Multipurpose Project came with a set of essential deliverables which is keeping him on his toes. “I never imagined that my first project in L&T would be under such circumstances but then ensuring the safety and wellbeing of 942 workmen and 82 employees, spread across 5 districts is quite a debut,” mentions Randeep.
Every day is a long one for Randeep but now he relishes the daily ventures, “Though tough initially, there was no other way but to do it meticulously as the process involved implementing SOPs, welfare measures and networking with various stake holders as we were operating in three red and two orange zones. Even a small slip could prove costly and to ensure that all fronts were covered, my day began at 7 am and normally ended at 10 pm, though at times it went even further,” shares Randeep.
With travel restrictions in place, Randeep had to bank on some innovative methods to keep tab across the various fronts. “We ensured that the paramedical staff who were on our rolls visit the habitats and guest houses as it was easy for them to move around and do the medical screening, while the core team monitored the overall situation, then made specific visits and received timely updates from the on-ground warriors through digital platforms such as MS Teams.” What worked well for Randeep and the site are his good contacts with the district administrators. “As the lockdown progressed, each district had its own set of rules and regulations over and above the MHA guidelines and it was only through effective networking we were kept informed about the developments.”
Every cloud has a silver streak and at site there were quite a few for Randeep, “Getting a head start and bonding with the team happened seamlessly along with networking that has added immense value to my portfolio and hopefully should keep me in good stead as I take up larger responsibilities at L&T,” mentions Randeep. He is equally thankful to his seniors at site: Project Manager, M. Parthiban Mohan (PAAM), Sadanand S Chittal, EHSM, Mukesh Batham and team.
On the home front, Randeep attributes his wife Divya for supporting him in all his endeavours while keeping her concerns to herself, “She is fully aware of my role and is proud that I am making a significant contribution.”
Sumit Saxena,
Assistant Manager – Accounts,
WET IC
For young Sumit Saxena of WET IC, the Kakrapar LIS project is his first and shares without any hesitation that the most memorable moment in his life was when he joined L&T. However, when he started his innings, he would not have imagined in his wildest thoughts that he would have to be part of an all-out effort by the site management to ensure the health and safety of all during a pandemic.
However, even in such situations people can think differently which Sumit and his team has proved with the mask issue. “Masks were either in short supply or were extremely expensive and secondly the life of a mask was very short,” he explains. “To address this issue, with the approval of our EHS manager, we designed a cotton mask through a local tailor the cost of which was only INR 20! We have given each workman two masks so that while he uses one, he can wash the other and the life of this mask is approximately two months. It is really a win-win situation for all,” he smiles delightedly. “Apart from masks, we have distributed sanitizers in small plastic bottles to our workmen and staff, so that when they are working, they can keep it in their pockets to use whenever required,”
Sumit and team have a long list of things to do to keep the work site, the workmen habitat, the office, and the family accommodations safe. “Transportation was a major problem for us in the beginning and as transportation was not available from outside, we managed to make all the necessary arrangements within our area itself, managing and arranging for all the anti-COVID facilities for staff and workmen.” There were many times that they had to accompany workmen or their family members to either the hospitals or other medical facilities. “Everyone is scared but every time we have provided all the necessary medical facilities not only for our staff and workmen by for their families as well.” He pauses for a moment and adds very seriously, “I was protecting my family too.”
“At the end of the day, I am proud to be a member of the L&T team,” he says with obvious pride, “as L&T always takes care of their employees and labour.”
Rajkumar Gayen,
Assistant Manager – Accounts,
Infrastructure Works, Bidkin
Dealing with two critical phases, one just after the lockdown and then getting back to work is what Rajkumar Gayen, Assistant Manager, Accounts, at Infrastructure Works, Bidkin Project, has seamlessly ensured for around 593 workmen and 63 employees. “Ours is a collaborative project between WET and TI ICs with 293 workmen engaged across WET tasks and 291 taking up TI works.”
He is candid to admit that initially he was apprehensive but reassures, “Under the leadership of our Project Director, Mukesh Singh, we chalked out a secure strategy roping in key stake holders: Biswajit Patra –IR Manager, Nitin Manikkule – EHS Manager, Vinay Kumar Baliyan – Project Manager and Raju Singh – Construction Manager.” The team formed a 24/7 Emergency Response Unit to deliver essential items, ensure hygiene and monitor workmen and employee welfare at camps and guest houses.
“We are no less than the essential services personnel,” quips Rajkumar, “While the whole nation was in a lockdown mode, it was always a fast-forward approach for us as we had to stay ahead in our safety and wellbeing mission. From the family, it was a mixed feeling of inspiration and concern as my wife Suparna, a home maker, along with my daughters Aishi and Aitri never stopped me from going to work but always instructed me to wear a face mask and carry a mini hand sanitizer.”
Holding together as a team during these tough times ensured a lot of gains both for the team and workmen, highlights Rajkumar. “Regardless of all facilities provided, there was some panic among the migrant workmen seeking to return to their hometowns. However, we quickly arranged the necessary approvals from the District Collector, organized medical screening in the Government Health Centres for fitness certificates to enable transportation for those workmen who wanted to leave through special trains. This was an initiative that reinforced our trust not only with the workmen but also among our stake holders such as clients, bureaucrats and the locals.”
Today, the site has been able to resume work with in-situ workmen and 50% of team members in line with SOP and MHA guidelines. “With a fair number of our employees leading the ‘back-to-work’ initiatives, a strong message has been sent to the workmen that we care for them and it is this reassurance that is a key enabler to gain momentum as we take up further work fronts.”
Kalpesh Manilal Padhiyar,
Assistant Manager – IR, WET IC
Kalpesh Padhiyar is a very satisfied man and his smile almost seems to say that good work always pays. “On 20th April, the very first day when relaxations were announced, we approached the District Collector and obtained the permit to resume work on the same day,” he shares proudly. “Later to our surprise, our site (WET IC’s 100 MLD SWRO Desalination Plant) was the first in the Gujarat region to obtain permission from the local authority. On 21st, our IC head permitted us to start the work following all the guidelines and SOPs from HQ. Secondly, after resumption of work, to engage new workmen from the local area (green zone), I have started to take Declarations from the Sub-Contractor stating that they will follow all the MHA guidelines, that all workmen as per list would stay at the mentioned address and that none have gone to any containment area/red zone/hotspot during the lockdown.”
For him, this is just reward for his and the project team’s hard work during the difficult days of lockdown to keep their workmen safe towards which Kalpesh’s responsibility was to the extent of only 38 workmen at the camp. “Workmen movement, social distancing and monitoring the same were the main challenges,” he mentions. “Moreover, after resumption of work, ensuring that all guidelines are being followed is another challenge like practising social distancing, sanitizing all areas, providing adequate drinking water, regular temperature checking and capturing attendance.”
On his personal front, Kalpesh joined L&T on 10th May 2017 and was posted at the Dahod Water Supply Scheme. “In 2018, I was transferred and posted at the SAUNI L2P6 as an Executive – IR and from 01.02.2020 onwards I am working at this site as Assistant Manager – IR,” he shares. A native of Ahmedabad, Kalpesh’s better half is Mittal, a homemaker and they are blessed with a daughter, Zeel. “My hobby is bike riding. I have a Royal Enfield and do find time to ride it,” he smiles. “I have many moments in life that I cherish: my marriage, the birth of my daughter and my dream of joining L&T coming true. These are moments that have totally changed my life,” he says with utter conviction.
Kalpesh is proud to be a part of a leading construction and engineering company and says, “I like the broad, positive and helping approach of the senior team members and management, always thinking about completing projects ahead of schedule with quality standards, zero harm and at the same time enhancing customer satisfaction!”
Saif Saeed Bagdadi
Assistant Manager, EHS, WET IC
Presently working at the project to expand the 30 MLD sewage treatment plant in the Industrial Area, Phase 2 in Doha, Qatar for WET IC, Saif Saeed Bagdadi has rich overseas experience having worked for Vinci Construction and Kuwait Oil Company before joining L&T in 2016. “I had the opportunity to work on one of the world’s largest water reservoirs in Saudi Arabia,” he recalls fondly, “and at this project, once we complete we would have increased the capacity of the sewage treatment plant from 60 MLD to 90 MLD.” However, Saif’s concentration, at present, is to keep the workmen and employees at his site safe from the pandemic.
“There are many challenges we face at site,” he says, “specially educating the work force about the symptoms and its control measures such as washing hands, keeping social distance, avoiding large gatherings and minimizing visiting malls, shops, etc. These are what they do normally, so it is very difficult to make them understand that everyone must work to a new normal for the safety of all of us. We are making them aware of the importance to keep calm and not panic during these tough times,” he adds, looking across his project site. “We have told them about the symptoms. Anyone found with the slightest symptoms are immediately sent to hospital. We have briefed the workmen and staff to report immediately to HSE, ADMIN or site team without any fail if they notice or detect anything and have emphasized that no action will be taken against them.”
As other measures, the project team has increased the number of buses on site to reduce the capacity of workmen in them and have staggered lunch breaks in small groups to maintain social distancing. “We have created a WhatsApp group and update it regularly about precautions, care to be taken and Qatar’s new rules regarding COVID-19,” he adds. Saif has only good things to say about the senior site management. “The seniors at our project are very supportive and have given us full freedom to take immediate actions if required and support us when we do so.”
Saif’s most memorable moment was when he held his son, Khalid Saif Bagdadi, in his arms for the first time. “My wife, Afroz Deshmukh, is a Senior Financial Analyst,” he says with some pride and adds that they hail from Mumbai. “My family was happy when they heard that I am a Corona Warrior at my site, but they are also worried and always asks me to take adequate precautions.”
“I like cricket, listening to music, reading,” and nods smilingly, “yes, I do find time for my hobbies.”
Muhammed Rushaid,
Assistant Manager, EHS, (WET IC)
The initial days of the lockdown were the most challenging for Muhammed Rushaid at the Seoni Multi Village Water Supply Scheme. “In just about no time we had to plan and arrange essential commodities for around 140 workmen based in 3 camps, for the staff at guest houses, keep the office, site, open excavations safe and, at the same time, continuously monitor and communicate with the local authorities. Succeeding on all these fronts was our first victory in the battle against COVID-19,” he shares triumphantly.
“Effective communication was key as we educated and convinced the workmen to stay put at their habitats which was the safest option for them. Our bilingual approach worked well as key members of the CRT team comprising Project Manager, Harshavardhan, Accountant, Kuldeep Kumar along with IR personnel, Padma Lochan Jethi and the section in-charges took up the responsibility of addressing the workmen once in 3 days on various issues.”
While VIEW EHS enabled easy EHS monitoring and safe execution, MS Teams was used to conduct committee meetings, EHS Training and share COVID-19-specific information. “Timely guidance from the HQ EHS Team helped us enormously to track, monitor, train and communicate about the pandemic,” says a thankful Rushaid.
Although well equipped to deal with workmen and guide them, Rushaid found himself in a slightly different situation here. “In rural India, it is not easy to make people understand social distancing and we had to time and again illustrate or rather demonstrate the importance of keeping an arm’s length distance,” he points out adding that all their efforts would make for an interesting case study. “Actually, we gained a lot like winning the trust of the workmen, reinforcing that we care for them and developing far more effective ways of communicating. Today, we can proudly say that all of us at site know a thing or two about how to connect with our workmen apart from work and that is the key to successful people management.”
With the lockdown easing, regaining work momentum is topmost on Rushaid’s current agenda. “The new normal has brought about a conscious shift towards hygiene and that is for the overall good while, as an EHS officer, I have the responsibility to keep our work fronts in line with the SOPs, introduce small value additions such as in-house fabricated hand sanitizers that is keeping the cleanliness factor ticking and ensure compliance to EHS Monitoring and Inspection through the VIEW EHS app.”
“My wife, Ruksana could well understand my responsibilities as we are from Kerala, a state that has effectively fought the battle against the pandemic,” he says was a smile. “The organizational commitment shown by L&T towards the welfare and safety of the workmen and employees assures her that I’m secure at work.”
Puttapalli Hazarath Harish Babu,
Assistant Manager, EHS, (WET IC)
Based at Kolgur, some 60 km from Hyderabad, Puttapalli Hazarath Harish Babu, Assistant Manager, EHS, has been driving safety to safeguard the wellbeing of 210 workmen. “We are in a remote region executing the Mallanna Sagar Reservoir Project, a green zone, where the lockdown did not come into force except for a brief period of 3 days after which the Government of Telangana instructed us to resume operations,” he shares.
“Though we had the complete manpower at site, convincing them to remain at site rather than travelling during the days of the pandemic was a challenge,” he points out. Resorting to a novel ploy, Harish Babu explains, “We conveyed the risks involved in travelling and offered a cash incentive with a bonus for those who volunteered to stay back and work. Perhaps, across L&T, we might be the only site to successfully retain our entire workforce,” he remarks proudly.
On field, as part of a comprehensive safety plan, “We identified areas in and around the site to source soil since our major scope of work was soil embankment thereby eliminating the risk of travel. Secondly, we motivated the workmen through a series of pep talks involving core team members, doctors and even at times roping in local influencers on the do’s and don’ts which proved to be very effective. As their awareness increased, we reinforced a series of wellbeing measures such as conducting medical check-up camps, hygiene drives while ensuring that the essential items were always available at the camps.” All these collectively boosted the morale of the workmen and within a few days, the entire force was at site going about their tasks as usual much to the delight of Harish Babu and team.
In times like these, it is always good and safe to have an open-minded approach, advocates Harish Babu, “Insights from the Project Manager, KS Viswanatham, and other seniors at site and even the subcontractors helped us to get into the details before implementing initiatives. For safety assessments, there was continuous monitoring of site from the EHS team at HQ and the Cluster guiding me through MS teams with inputs on COVID-19, tracking wellbeing of site staff and workmen. View EHS application, onboarded and perfected much earlier, was another big advantage that simplified remote access and reviews and made the entire process paperless.”
A native of Hyderabad, Harish Babu, along with his wife Harika, are looking forward to their joy of life, their first child, expected in a few months. “My wife is a software engineer with IBM and wanted to spend the ‘Work From Home’ season with me but seeing my bigger commitments, she supported me to carry out my duties at site.”
Mohammad Gulam Ali Hassan,
Executive – Accounts (WET IC)
Challenging the limits is what Gulam Ali Hassan likes to do time and again, a trait that is very evident right through his school and college days. At L&T, he began as a Graduate Commercial Trainee in a remote location at the Sahibganj Mega Water Supply Scheme in Jharkhand, and having passed his first test, today, he handles the accounts for two water projects in Ranchi. “It has been quite an enterprising phase but then with the COVID-19 situation emerging, we are facing a very different kind of challenge,” shares Gulam Ali Hassan. “Thankfully, with seniors like Mrityunjoy Santra, Project Manager, and Jayant Chanda, Cluster Accounts Manager, around, we were able to chalk out a secure strategy and win over the crisis with many learnings,” he adds.
Having heard the phrase, ‘Cash is King’ innumerable times from our senior management, Gulam Ali Hassan narrates a first-hand experience, “We had some buffer during these testing times as I was able to convince the client and get some payment cleared. It came at the right time to help us establish proactive measures.” Moving forward, larger responsibilities were thrust on Gulam Ali Hassan, “It would have taken some time for me to become adept in the administrative aspects of site but there was no waiting period here as I had to directly plunge into action.”
As the ‘Go to Man’, Gulam Ali Hassan has been coordinating and arranging a range of requirements for workmen and employees. “It was a long list and initially to begin with, I was concerned, but then going with the momentum, there was no looking back.” It was a role that was a combination of many portfolios, he remarks, “and I must admit what I learnt in the last one and half months is invaluable and the kind of confidence it gives me is immense.”
Today, Gulam Ali Hassan is all smiles as he knows the labour commissioner through whom he has facilitated the transfer of benefits under the BOCW Act to workmen, can connect with the DIG Special Branch as he has arranged for the VIP vehicle passes and is also seen as a Good Samaritan among the 100 tribal villagers who were provided groceries.
What keeps this young man inspired is the positive vibes that he gets from his family which includes his wife, Farah Siddiqua, a homemaker, his “Loveable Gift”, as he fondly addresses his son, Md. Hussian Ali, and of course L&T, “Honouring every financial commitment to staff and workmen during this lockdown is no mean task, a feat that every L&T-ite should be proud of,” he signs off on an emotional note.
Yagana Khan,
EHSO, (WET IC)
It was an aspiration drawn during one of her site visits while at college that triggered Yagana Khan, EHSO, at the Udaipur Integrated Project, to take up safety as a full-time profession. After completing her M. Tech in HSE from UPES, Dehradrun, she joined L&T in 2018 and was posted at Udaipur in Rajasthan.
Challenges were plenty to begin with for Yagana, “Seeing a lady EHSO give directions and interact was something new to most of workmen and for a good two to three months, I had to work to change their mindset.” Having broken the barrier, things started to get normal or even better, mentions Yagana. “Ensuring safety was always a tough task across work fronts in and around Udaipur as our site activities were predominately along narrow roads and by lanes. With the lockdown coming into effect, we had to act fast, ensure minimum interface and move close to 1200 workmen to safer zones.”
Effective communication was the key for Yagana. “At the right moment, we took a call to address the workmen that they were in safe hands and briefed them on the do’s and don’ts. Having assured the trust, it was now time to enact and under the guidance of our Project Manager, Vipin Kumar Tyagi and team members, we shared several responsibilities to ensure a safe environment for the workmen.” Adding might to the project team’s efforts were digital initiatives, indicates Yagana, “ViewEHS was our prime application through which the entire process of safety at work was ensured 24/7 and with virtual platforms like MS Teams, we were able to seamlessly connect, conduct trainings on SOPs, discuss on the crisis, take help from HQ and regulate activities efficiently at site.”
For Yagana, it has been an enterprising debut as she led safety initiatives at site including 131 training programmes, associated with 3 external and 8 internal EHS audits, conducted around 30 mock drills and participated in several community outreach programmes. Her good and safe work is now being acknowledged internationally as she has been shortlisted for the British Safety Council’s ‘Young Health and Safety Champion of the Year’ award.
As a focussed EHS personnel, this young lady goes about her work and achievements unassumingly, doing what is always safe and right, “When my parents heard about me being a part of the essential services team, they were apprehensive but when I shared L&T’s proactive and safe approach, there were proud of my work. Today, in my still short journey as a safety officer, I am glad to have made changes in people’s mindset regarding safety at workplace.” As the project has resumed operations, Yagana, continues her mission of nurturing a safety conscious culture.
Rupesh Yashwant Gharte,
Engineer (ELEC) – WET IC
For young Rupesh Gharte at WET IC’s Integrated Water Supply and Waste Water Project at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, the biggest challenge is to supply water to 2,300 homes in Jhunjhunu city as part of NRW even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. “Making water available is always a serious challenge during summer, and this year, the challenge is even bigger because one of the main ways to prevent the spread of the virus is to wash your hands as frequently as possible. So, keeping portable water lines running without a glitch has become most critical,” says Rupesh who joined L&T three years ago as a DET. “Conveyance has been another huge problem during the days of the lockdown. It has been very difficult to get permissions from the respective authorities to mobilize vehicles to reach our work place.”
Rupesh sets an example for his colleagues to follow. “I ensure that I follow the safety measures right from my doorstep by wearing gloves, face mask, always carrying a hand sanitizer with me throughout the working area. I keep checking whether the workmen and drivers are making use of their safety equipment, whether they are self-sanitizing themselves before entering the workplace and maintaining social distancing.”
The COVID-19 outbreak has been a good opportunity to learn quickly for Corona Warriors like Rupesh. “I have learnt how to work during an emergency following the instructions of my superior,” he says with conviction. “From Day 1 of the lockdown, I have executed my duties after discussions with my supervisor, R Mahesh Babu. He has made sure that that he is always available whenever I have needed him to solve any issue. We have so far met the challenging task with proper planning and the co-operation of all teammates,” he shares with gratitude. Rupesh mentions a special Webinar by Tanuja Batra that helped him gain technical knowledge about how to overcome the threat of COVID-19 and the self-protective measures to be taken.
Born in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, Rupesh’s family is his father, Yashwant, mother, Alka and sister, Madhuri. “Yes,” he nods, “they were nervous at first but after realizing the seriousness of my job, they are proud of me and have supported, encouraged and motivated me!” He is also proud of the appreciation certificate his project has received from the PHD department for their services rendered in Jhunjhunu city during the lockdown.
“I have dedicated my life to helping others,” he declares very seriously and then softens up to speak about his hobbies. “I like to play cricket and some of my best moments are playing cricket in Raigad,” he smiles looking away.