Shortage of workforce has emerged as a major constraint to resuming supply of essential goods as well as carrying out maintenance of necessary infrastructures for bringing Kathmandu Valley into normalcy.

Factories in Tarai belt have already resumed production. But they have not been able to supply their products to Kathmandu and other affected districts due to shortage of truck drivers, according to industrialists.

Pashupati Murarka, acting president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), said they were facing shortage of drivers as most of the drivers hail from quake-hit districts like Sindhupalchowk, Kavrepalanchowk, Rasuwa and Nuwakot. "Drivers and other laborers from these districts have suffered loss of life and property," he added.

FNCCI officials also said they had faced shortage of drivers while supply relief materials to quake-hit districts under their 'Operation Relief' campaign.

Warehouses of essential commodities in Kathmandu Valley are running out of stock and fresh supplies are not coming in.

Rajendra Shrestha, general secretary of Federation of Truck Transport Entrepreneurs Nepal, said most of the truck drivers have rushed to their quake-hit villages.

Officials of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs Associations (FNNTEA), a union of public bus operators, also say public transportation will not come to normalcy unless transport workers returned to work. Ramesh Mahara, office head of FNNTEA, said around 80 percent of drivers in public transportation sector hail from quake affected districts. "We cannot give the exact number of drivers now. But we know the number is significant," he said, adding, "We have dispatched relief materials to them as many of them have lost their family members and houses."

Transportation is not the only sector which has faced shortage of workforce. Officials of Trishuli Hydropower Project say they have not been able to start repair works on their powerhouse due to shortage of heavy equipment operators.

Cracks have been seen in the crest of balancing ponds of the 24-megawatt project.

Nearby Devighat Hydropower Project is also facing similar problem. "

"We can restore these projects within a couple of weeks. But these projects have told us that they do not have sufficient workers for repair works," Sher Singh Bhat, deputy managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), said.

Many factories in Kathmandu Valley, which are preparing to resume operation, have also seen shortage of laborers due to exodus of workers to their villages following the earthquake.

Conservative estimate shows nearly a million people, including transportation and factory workers, living in rented quarters in Kathmandu Valley have left Kathmandu after the earthquake

As large number of working-age population is in foreign land, affected households are not finding workforce to rebuild their houses.

Published on: 7 May 2015 | Republica