The entire country came to a standstill when the Government of India announced a nationwide lockdown initially for 21 days, restricting the movement of 1.3 billion people as a timely preventive measure against the COVID-19 spread in India. It was then extended up to 68 days and most people were confined to their homes even after the lockdown. At Amnex, while most employees worked from the comforts of their homes, some had to brave the challenges and travel during these tough times to ensure that the operations of our projects across the country continued as usual.
Being a premium technology solution provider in the sectors that impact the lives of millions of people such as dairy, smart cities, transportation and solid waste management, we had to ensure that the on-going operations ran unhindered. Interrupted operations in the sectors like mining and ports would have resulted in a huge loss for the client. In cities like Indore and Gandhinagar, Nexies provided technical support to COVID control rooms.
Duty-bound and determined Nexies, especially the members of the O&M and Delivery team, made sure that no adversities could stop them from delivering the best results. All thanks to the undamped fighting spirit of the Nexies, our operations have been successfully running at different locations like Cochin, Nashik, Chandigarh, Raipur, Bellary, Mundra, Banaskantha throughout this period.
Putting the safety of the employees first, the organization provided them with safety kits comprising PPE kits, masks, face shields and sanitizers. We ensured that they were tested on a regular basis so that prompt medical treatment can be provided if the employee tested positive. The shift rotation was planned in a way that the Nexies working on sites could limit their exposure and stay safe. From providing conveyance for travelling by a private vehicle to managing government passes as and when required, the organization left no stone unturned to ensure the resources’ safety.
However, from travelling to booking a hotel, everything was a challenge during the initial phase of the pandemic. There was lack of clarity about the air travel regulations and the flights got abruptly cancelled. Even after reaching the client’s site after facing great difficulties, in several cases, clients refused to meet the resources directly or postponed the meeting for a few days fearing that the travelling person might be the carrier of the virus. Dhaval Modi, Sr. Principal Consultant (Smart City), who also travelled during this period asserts that it was indeed a dangerous situation. Recollecting a bitter incident, he says, “We booked the best available hotel in Chandigarh for our resources. When they reached there, at the last moment we discovered that it was a COVID designated hotel. No other hotels were available at that time. So, they had to stay in the same hotel for a few days where very limited food options were available. With great difficulty, we arranged their stay in another hotel.”
A bigger challenge was awaiting the Nexies who reached home after travelling. Head of O&M, Ankur Singhania says, “One of the main problems our resources faced was that their frightened societies did not allow them to enter when they came back from the site, suspecting that they might carry a risk of infection. For such employees, we managed their stay in guest houses and took care of all their needs.”
Societal pressure, agitated and concerned families, countless challenges while travelling, and the constant threat of catching an infection, Nexies braved the toughest time to ensure that the company’s running projects did not suffer. Even after the process of unlocking has started, not much has changed for the Nexies who are travelling for work. Different states have different policies for travellers and sometimes it is difficult to comply with them. In several cases, they face inquiries from local authorities and police officials. Through all the odds, one thing that has remained constant, and that is – the fighting spirit of the Nexies.
