Construction activity picks up in Karachi: Return of workers
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Feb 2: After a dull spell construction activity is picking up in the city. There was massive exodus of workers after October 8 earthquake, but now the majority of workers have returned from the quake-hit areas.
The construction activity had come to a halt in the city soon after the October 8 tragedy in the northern parts of Pakistan. Sponsors and builders, who had started their projects just before October 8, had to shelve the expensive media publicity of their mega projects due to the buyers’ reluctance to buy property and make advance booking. The builders had not shelved their projects but witnessed phenomenal decline in advance booking of flats, apartments and houses.
Now builders and developers have resumed their print and electronic media campaigns. One can see the newspapers loaded with advertisements of many projects. Many TV channels are also running their advertisements.
The property hunters, shocked by huge casualties in the earthquake, now appear to have recovered from the trauma. The builders have smelled the change and finally decided to re-launch their projects’ campaigns.
Workers and labourers are now visible on the site of various projects. However, it is hard to ascertain the exact number of workers’ who have returned from the upcountry. In fact, there is no firm data on the exact number of workers who left Karachi for Mansehra, Kashmir, Balakot and the NWFP. Some say the figure is around 40,000, while others put it over 150,000.
Chairman Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), Hafeez ur Rahman Butt, said that 80-85 per cent workers had landed back in the city from the quake affected areas. Workers from these areas have expertise in shuttering and billet binding.
“Construction activities have actually been restored from January 2006,” he said adding that since the snowfall has engulfed most of the northern parts -the workers opted to return to Karachi to resume their work. He said no project was shelved because of the tragedy.
The former ABAD chairman, Babar Mirza Chughtai, was of the view that only 30 to 40 per cent workers had returned becaue most of them were waiting for the compensation cheques. “100 per cent workers have yet to arrive from the affected areas,” he added.
In stark contrast to the builders’ claims regarding downward trend in construction activity in the city after October 8, and subsequent recovery in January 2006, a cement-maker said that his business was not affected at all through this period and cement sales have been normal since October, 2005.
The executive director, Lucky Cement Limited, Abdul Razzak Thaplawala said that a slight drop in sales in November and December 2005 was because of holidays of two Eids followed by winter season in which construction activities remained laggard owing to short daylight. There has been a seasonal affect in cement sales all over Pakistan and not because of the earthquake tragedy, he added.
Executive member of Pakistan Sanitary Merchants and Manufacturers Association (PSMMA), M. Amin Lasania, said that 100 per cent workers of sanitary and tiles fitting belonging to the quake-hit areas have yet to arrive in the city.
“I think that 15-20 per cent labour is still short,” he said adding that perhaps many labourers are waiting for the aid in cash and kind from the government.
He said as far as sales of sanitary and tiles are concerned ,it has been normal these days. However, the only problem is the shortage of transporters for taking our goods to destinations in Punjab. Transporters are charging Rs35,000 to Rs40,000 for a 20ft container for taking goods to Punjab as compared to Rs26,000-27,000 before the earthquake. Many transporters have not returned to Karachi as they are engaged in inter-city movement of relief items.
All Pakistan Marble Mining Processors and Exporters Association Chairman Sanaullah Khan said that 90 per cent of the saw operators and heavy machine operators belonging to Mansehra and Shinkiari, who had left Karachi, have arrived just few days ahead of Eid ul Azha.
He said due to the suspension of construction activities, marble sales had dropped by over 50 per cent in Karachi after October 8, and also in other parts of the country. “With the resumption of construction activity - our work has also started,” Sanaullah said.
