Title:
Migrant Construction Workers in Chennai City: A Study of Their Lives During the Pandemic

Authors:
Ms. M Rekha, Ms. Ashika A, Dr.Sr. Stella Mary fmm, India

Abstract:

Tamil Nadu is one urban state which is industrialized and fast growing after the 1990s. The manufacturing and service sectors have been growing quickly, which contributes to the state's enormous labour demand. As Rural to urban migration is increasing in India for both the short term and the long-term movements, the migrants depend largely upon the construction sector for employment. Chennai and other areas of Tamil Nadu have emerged as the construction industries main hubs and draws migrants from and within the state and from other states flowing into these sectors. As Tamil Nadu is the home for more than 10 lakhs migrant workers especially working in construction segments. Every year, almost a lakh young men and women move from villages to Tamil Nadu with dreams to get better jobs and quality of life. Covid-19 had a major hit on the economy and turned it upside down all at once. The pandemic has caused a huge recession across all the countries. Many people were affected by the disease, many lost jobs, the global economy and the individual’s economic condition was severely affected. Considering the importance of establishing policies for migrants, especially towards the construction sector Firstly, the study examines the challenges faced by the migrant workers during pandemic with respect to provisions, residence, job, income, healthcare covid and non-covid related issues, mobility, and sanitation with the help of in-depth interview data collected from migrants’ construction workers in Chennai city. Secondly the paper focuses on various policy measures undertaken by the Government of India and Tamil Nadu to resolve the problem of the migrant workers. Thirdly, the paper Provides suggestions that can help governments be better equipped to handle these issues in the future. Random sampling technique is used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data’s which is collected from different areas of Chennai city, Vignette technique would be used to study the problems faced by the migrant’s workers during pandemic the qualitative data is analysed using vignettes to analyses the problem of the migrants during pandemic.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51505/IJEBMR.2024.8206