The impact of COVID-19 is likely to echo in the industry for a considerable period. The norms of social distancing will surely not help in completing the undergoing projects, states Joydev. An exclusive for Different Truths.

With incomplete and half-built projects onsite, the construction industry is one of the worst-hit industries during this pandemic. Adding to it, the shortage of workforce will hit more on the line to the construction industry. The impact of COVID-19 is likely to echo in the industry for a considerable period. The norms of social distancing will surely not help in completing the undergoing projects. The availability of a workforce is the biggest challenge the construction industry is going to face in the days to come, followed by the disruption in the supply chain and contracted cash flow. The construction sector requires a pool of skilled and unskilled labour, and with migrant workers moving back to their villages or hometowns, the construction community is going to face an acute shortage of manpower soon.

The availability of a workforce is the biggest challenge the construction industry is going to face in the days to come, followed by the disruption in the supply chain and contracted cash flow. The construction sector requires a pool of skilled and unskilled labour, and with migrant workers moving back to their villages or hometowns, the construction community is going to face an acute shortage of manpower soon.

As it is said, every dark cloud has a silver lining, many leaders in the construction industry believe that the current situation has not only brought challenges to them but has also offered an opportunity to innovate and bring more and more technology into the business. Industry leaders identify the crisis as a creative breakthrough for the construction industry. For this, first of all, they need to prioritize their goals and start afresh with the immediate ones. The construction sector needs to adopt an approach that could bring a sense of relief amid this pandemic, and what else could be a better approach than embracing technology?

The technology could play a pivotal role in helping the construction industries to resurge. China set an example by constructing a COVID hospital in a matter of seven days, which would not have been possible without the use of technology. Now it is the time the same technology to implement in India as well. There has been a phenomenal change in how construction companies used technology over the past few years, leading to a number of innovative ways of their operation. But still, it is on the technology front that the construction industry is lagging as compared to other industries. In this time, when the industry is facing the heat of workforce crunch, technology comes into action.

There are other fronts too where technology could be handy for the construction leaders. Whether in the form of database and CAD files or building models with associated parameters, the digital data will set the overall positioning of the company by maintaining the project performance and track record digitally.

There are other fronts too where technology could be handy for the construction

leaders. Whether in the form of database and CAD files or building models with associated parameters, the digital data will set the overall positioning of the company by maintaining the project performance and track record digitally. Certain areas in the industry such as building plan validations and construction permits approval are already being processed online. Presently, the need is to increase the adoption of the digital-driven process at a higher rate than before. The higher adoption of the digital process will certainly bring convenience to the architects as well as the real-estate owners.

To collaborate with different parties involved in the construction and bring them on a single platform, concepts like a single-window clearance system should be adopted. This will remove the barriers and difficulties faced by building owners in getting clearances and obtaining NOC’s. The time lost in running after multiple agencies and offices to get the permission could be saved, and a transparent system of e-governance could largely be implemented.

Support from the government is imperative to revive the construction industry. The government’s involvement is largely needed to deepen the R&D in this complex space. Moreover, it is only the permit-issuing agencies, which otherwise is controlled by the government, which can make the system of Single Window Clearance possible.

Support from the government is imperative to revive the construction industry. The government’s involvement is largely needed to deepen the R&D in this complex space. Moreover, it is only the permit-issuing agencies, which otherwise is controlled by the government, which can make the system of Single Window Clearance possible. Once made available, authorities across the world will be able to issue construction permits and NOCs from various external as well as internal agencies. It is the time industry players and government should go digital and embrace technology and use its benefits optimally.

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