Delhi govt to distribute summer kits having sattu, ORS, gamcha to 1 lakh construction workers

The Delhi government will distribute special kits containing sattu, ORS, sherbat syrap, prickly heat powder, gamcha and other items, among one lakh construction workers in the city to help them cope with the intense summer heat, officials said on Tuesday.

The government has started the process to engage a public sector unit for procurement of the items, packaging and distribution of the summer kits to nearly one lakh workers registered with Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, they said.

Each kit will have nine items including 250 grams of instant energy glucose, one kg premium quality sattu (roasted gram flour), 30 oral rehydration solution (ORS) sachets, cotton gamcha (towel), sunlight protection cap, prickly heat powder, one-litre water bottle, 250 ml of sherbat concentrate kept in a durable utility backpack.

The approximate cost of distribution of each kit is estimated to be Rs 1,890. The Board has started the process for selection of a PSU for supply of summer kits to Delhi to the construction workers, officials said.

The Delhi government recognises that construction workers engaged in outdoor and labour-intensive activities are particularly vulnerable to extreme summer conditions and heatwave related occupational risks such as dehydration, heat stress, fatigue, and associated health complications. said a request for proposal (RFP) document issued by the Board.

The Board aims to ensure timely supply and distribution of the summer kits to approximately 1,00,000 registered construction workers to support their health, safety, and overall working conditions.

The number of the construction workers may increase or decrease as per the conditions. Priority will be given to workers working on construction site, said the document

Since real-time authenticated data regarding construction workers presently engaged at construction sites in Delhi is not available with the Board, the estimated beneficiary coverage has been derived on the basis of active and renewed registered construction workers maintained in the database of the Board, it said.

Considering workforce mobility, seasonal migration, operational feasibility, budgetary availability, and implementation timelines, a reasonable coverage ratio of approximately 25 per cent of the active renewed worker base has been considered for the estimation process, it said.

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The number of beneficiaries is tentative and has been estimated on the basis of active registered construction workers available in the records of the Board.

Actual distribution may vary depending upon beneficiary availability, field verification, operational feasibility, and administrative approval. Priority will, as far as feasible, be accorded to workers presently engaged in construction-related outdoor activities, it added.