Corona and the gutsy engineer

Unsung Warriors Of Covid War Part 2

By Lata Baisoya

Patna: Life often offers an existential crisis. Paradoxically at times people are also just left with Hobson’s choice. The unannounced arrival of the coronavirus pandemic saw Kumar Jainendra, a civil engineer heading a highway project in Bihar, fighting his way so as to come to terms with this paradox.

Initially it was a matter of pride for Jainendra to contribute his bit when the entire nation was reeling under an unprecedented lockdown. He was given a special pass so that he could perform his duty, despite being working for a private firm working in the infrastructure sector. This indeed was a matter of pride and he had a sense of gratification that his contribution towards nation building was recognised by the state. The pass, after all, was a testimony to this. While COVID-19 had brought life of all common citizens to a standstill, he had a task to perform. As someone who was spearheading the project, he used to enthusiastically drive for miles to his worksite and spend much time on the road, literally. 

Also read: When a “laid-back” housewife saved lives of 400 Covid patients

All these days Jainendra undertook immense risk but was satisfied that at least he was overseeing such an important task of road and bridge construction in the state capital Patna. He had undertaken the construction of State Highway 1, Sadipur-Masaurhi Road, and Punpun Bridge.

He did take several steps such as daily self-sanitisation, wearing masks and gloves, and weekly sanitisation of his car, to ensure not getting infected by the coronavirus,. He also used to sanitise the office of the construction site and thermal scan everyone daily – staff and workers. Keeping in mind the safety of the workers, they were provided with three Dettol soaps and sanitisers to wash their hands frequently. Eye-catching display boards with all the important rules and regulations were also peppered across the construction site so that everyone could easily see and follow them.

Jainendra was confident of negotiating with the difficulties and he did face many of them. Lack of manpower was a prime hurdle as the majority of labourers had returned to their villages post the first nationwide lockdown on March 25, 2020. Besides, managing the workforce was a daunting task as it involved hours of travel, wherein labourers were picked and dropped from their respective villages. Many labourers still weren’t convinced to come to work despite persuasion and safety assurance by the company.

To meet the gap in the workforce, Jainendra hired workers living in nearby areas even though they weren’t well versed in the work of construction. Furthermore, he ensured that his company made stay arrangements for over 50-60 workers, who belonged to far-flung parts of Bihar or neighbouring states. Out of these, 30 labourers were from Assam and 15 labourers were from Uttar Pradesh.  

Another problem was to make these workers aware of the seriousness of the situation. This was not an easy task though. However, a simple standard operating procedure (SOP) did help them to adapt eventually, but this was not enough. After the initial hiccups, it was a smooth sail for about one and a half months until Unlock 1, after which the vehicular movement affected the fast pace of the construction work. 

But as Corona spread its tentacles, to his horror Jainendra found many of this workers too contracting this dreaded virus. It was extremely risky to be in contact with these workers. He informed his office about the situation on ground but the work could not be stopped, even if this meant an increased risk to he himself of contracting Corona.

Jainendra asked for a month’s break but was denied so. After all, the company too had a deadline to meet.  He suddenly discovered to his horror that he was just left with the Hobson’s choice — either do the job or lose it. At a time when reports of companies laying off their staff had peaked, the future did look bleak for a moment for this gusty engineer. It looked as if he was trapped between the devil and the deep blue sees.

Losing the job was just one of the vicissitudes of life though. The existential crisis was whether to continue and get exposed to Corona, or to quit and face an uncertain future. He opted for the second option. “On one hand I was concerned about my workers’s health, and on the other hand I had to listen to my wife and sons too,” he explains. Of course he had performed his fiduciary duty with aplomb.

There was no job for over a month for Jainendra but then, as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave. His exemplary work during the crisis period had not gone unrecognised and soon he was approached not only by the very company that he had just quit, but by other companies that wanted him to be with them. Today he is back with another plush assignment. But this also means that he has become more concerned about his environment.

Jainendra’s story does have a lesson for others. Jainendra not only fought against the exploitation that companies often get indulged into, but also proved that believing one’s own abilities and trusting one’s gut always pay. He did take risk when it was desirable, but he did not hesitate to fight for the cause his own as well as his subordinates when that was required, and even put his foot down when it became absolutely necessary. He indeed is a shining example of a good manager, who dares to take bold decisions and remain caring too.