Issued in: Industrial Safety Chronicle VOL. No. LIII | No.2Droners are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Unmanned Aircraft System (UASs). It can be remotely controlled through software, working in conjunction with on board sensor and Global Positioning System (GPS). With advancement in technology, drones are used for different purpose and application such as delivery, national highway mapping, smart agriculture work, agriculture land survey, forest monitoring, surveillance emergency response, etc. Also, it has been used for high-risk jobs wherein many types of risks are eliminated including exposer to health and unsafe conditions e.g. inspection of electricity transmission towers, pipelines, structural stability, tall chimneys, boilers, etc.To regulate the drone related activities in a manner such that they do not pose any risk to safety or security of people and assets; the Govt of India promulgated the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 w.e.f. 12th March, 2021. However, these Rules are[...]

Podcast EP 2: Contract ManagementJoin us as we dive into the world of contract management! Our expert, Mr. N Srinivasan, will be leading a discussion with our staff on this crucial aspect of technical excellence at Eka Infra. With over 35+ years of experience in contract management, Mr. Srinivasan is the perfect guide for our podcast-based interaction. This is just the start, as we aim to explore the vast subject of contract management in-depth, starting with some of the key tasks performed by contract managers in projects and organizations. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn and grow with us!https://youtu.be/IrhIi-sbqJM

Concrete mix design overviewConcrete is the most important material in the infrastructure projects and the concrete mix proportions are the most important aspects of working with the concrete. Designing a concrete mix needs to follow dedicated and judicious approach which requires detailed analysis of available raw material (concrete ingredients) and composition thereof. Concrete mix is a combination of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, cement and water. Admixtures are used to increase workability and setting time of concrete mix without affecting its durability, consistency and other strength parameters. Some project specification allows replacement of cement content partially with pozzolanic material such as fly ash, Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), silica fumes etc. to give increased impermeable and durable concrete. In this blog we are looking at some important things that we need to keep in our mind while designing concrete mixes. As we all know, during the mix design trials we attempt[...]

The Old Man and the Sea reflects on determination and character.  It can be seen as a simile for the human relationship with the ocean. That relationship is nearly as old as man, complex and to a degree parasitic.The ocean is a source of food, energy, trade and adventure. The coastal zone is increasingly critical for human population and development.  Research, innovation and investment makes the ocean an ever more important source of food and energy.  This has also aided in opening up the ocean as a source of biological diversity and providing hopes for delivering a biomedical resource.Although humans are gaining in understanding the bounty of commodities, non-market goods and services that can be generated from the ocean, they also appear adept at exploiting the ocean’s resources far beyond sustainability. The ocean is large but not infinite.  Humans seem intent on overburdening the ocean and depleting or destroying the resource[...]

I am Amala Bennichan, and I hold a Master's in Technology in Offshore Structures degree. As an individual who spent almost 1/4th of her lifetime in education, my goal was to be independent by acquiring a job and leading a superior quality of life. During my Graduation in 2020, Covid 19 hit the world, and a sudden holdback stopped every individual's life. Being a Fresher, I was going through all the possible sources for getting a job which under normal circumstances was a challenging task, and the pandemic made it worse. The companies were laying off people from jobs, reducing salaries, shuffling the workforce and, in extreme cases, even shutting down offices. The few numbers of jobs that may have been available were only for experienced people. For a year, I was idle at home. One day, while surfing online for job opportunities, I came across a startup engineering company called[...]

After 80 years of driving global economic growth and peace, international trade is now facing multiple challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains, and high fuel prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine war have made transportation costs unmanageable for many businesses. The war has also affected international grain trading. The recent crisis in Sri Lanka is linked to the war as well. Tensions between China and Taiwan have grown, leading some to fear that globalization is going into reverse—a trend supported by all previous challenges. Furthermore, decisions about how to respond to anthropomorphic climate change will influence the following: which fuel is chosen, where it is sourced from, and even more pressure for shorter supply chains.It is impossible to predict how international trade will be reshaped as technological and economic forces push and pull on the strategies of shipowners, ports, and logistics companies. Economic commentators have been talking about inflation, recession,[...]

Delays are encountered in a large number of projects. Schedulers and Project managers need to identify /analyse and implement appropriate corrective steps including actions to prevent such delays from re occurring. The reasons for delays are often due to, improper/insufficient planning, lack of competence/experience of some of the participants, changes in techno commercial terms, delays in permits and Force Majeure. However, in current market situation, the objectives of delay analysis has shifted to allocate the delay damages to the participants.Since there are so many stakeholders involved in construction projects, such as owners, consultants, and government agencies, a clear understanding of the project scope split and an agreed-upon integrated time schedule is essential. The duration of any project has a direct impact on the financial results of all stakeholders and hence delays need to be analysed for granting of extension of time and levying of damages on parties causing such delays. Government[...]

Introduction Electrical safety is typically one of the main safety concerns at construction sites. Every construction site is covered with electrical hazards. Electrical safety is a general practice of workers who are exposed to handling and maintaining electrically powered equipment and using electricity in construction site. This blog takes a closer look at some common workplace electrical hazards and how to manage them. In addition, this blog discusses safety precautions and solutions for better electrical safety. A simple flow chart for ensure electrical safety at workplace and achieve zero electrical accident. Common Electrical Hazards The first step in improving electrical safety for construction sites is to make sure everyone is able to help identify electrical hazards. This can start with making sure everyone knows that they should treat all extension cords and other electrical equipment as if it had a live current going through it at all times. This simple procedure[...]

Concreting is a critical process which requires strict supervision during placing and compaction of the concrete so as to achieve the desired strength and durability. The improper compaction and bonding between the concrete may leads to various defects which affects the strength and durability of the concrete structure.Defects in concrete structures can result in failure of the structure under certain conditions. It is important for construction teams to observe these defects, such as cracking, spalling, blow holes, honey combing etc. to ensure that the structure being built out of concrete is capable of lasting its design life.Most of the degradation processes encountered by concrete structures such as corrosion, alkali-aggregate reaction, sulphate attack and many other types of physical and chemical deterioration, require water dissolved chemicals. The process of chemical and physical deterioration of concrete with time or reduction in durability is generally dependent on the presence and transport of the deleterious substances through concrete. Thus, permeability[...]

India’s road transport sector accounts for about 87% of passenger traffic and 60% of freight traffic movement in the country. For many Indians, road transport is one of the most cost-effective and preferred mode of transport. This is true for both freight and passenger transport. A wide road network, the availability of a variety of transport modes that suit all kinds of individuals, as well as opportunities for low-cost travel are some of the reasons why road transport is popular and preferred.In today's world, road transport has become an integral part of the human experience. Virtually everyone is a road user in one way or the other. In recent years, India has developed many high-speed transport corridors that have minimised distances between people, businesses, towns, and cities. On the other hand, they have also increased the risk to life. Every year, road accidents result in the loss of lakhs of lives,[...]

India is fast developing country and Infrastructure development is the key indicator for development. Accordingly, there are many infrastructure projects in progress across India specifically Roads & Highways, Coastal Infrastructure, and other infrastructural developments. Infrastructure development projects are carried out with high-risk activities and in hazardous environments. Even though all critical risk analysis is being done at the beginning of the project, while actual execution with all safety measures some lapses like manual errors, mechanical failures may happen. These lapses may lead / experiences accidents of various levels of severity, some causing minor and major injuries with even some resulting in fatality. These Occupational accidents in the infra development projects can have negative detrimental effects directly on project execution, as they can result in loss of productivity, delay the project, low staff morale, loss of reputation, decrease market value and risk to business sustainability. Following a workplace accident, companies often look[...]

Risk management in construction project is an important process of the project planning. Various risks associated with construction projects and when a risk turns into reality it can disrupt a project and it can have a serious impact on costs, schedules, and performance of the project which will lead to delays and disputes down the road. In order to avoid disaster, you need to be able to properly assess, control, and monitor risks once they’ve been identified. Risk management is a process of steps that help identify and migrate the risks for the successful closure of a project. If done correctly and sincerely, risk management will reduce not only the likelihood of an event occurring, but also the magnitude of its impact. In the simplest terms, risk management process is taking preventive actions to avoid and minimize any kind of risk to a project which lead to  Increase market value, increase[...]

Just after World War II, a pioneering and courageous young Indian woman boarded a ship to England. Her purpose? To study meteorology (weather sciences) at Imperial College London. Anna Mani’s (23rd August 1918 – 16th August 2001) determination to forge her own destiny, coupled with the foresight to study a scientific subject that’s so vital in the modern world, ultimately helped pave the way for meteorological development and progress in India. In the 21st century, the whole world is talking and researching climate change and global warming. India is no exception. Moreover, the country is also looking into the impact of these phenomena on a social problem that’s plagued us for decades – food security. While we have not yet managed to achieve full food security, we are better informed today than we were half a century ago. So we can optimistically hope for a food-secure India sometime in future. And[...]

On 30th September 2021, the World celebrated the 43rd World Maritime Day! I woke up early on that morning thinking that I’ll write a post about it on my LinkedIn and Instagram page with the intention of wishing the Maritime Industry on this auspicious day. But as soon as I logged in, I was subjected to yet another message stating something on the lines of “My name is XYZ, I completed my training from ABC Maritime University, in B-tech Marine course in 2017. I come from a poor family and my parents have taken a hefty loan to complete my education. I have applied to 50 shipping companies but have received no response and now some agent is claiming if I cough up 4 lakh rupees, he will help me join a ship in an ITF company. I am in deep trouble. Please help me sir”. After reading this disquieting message,[...]

Report On Grounding Of M.V. Ever Given In The Suez CanalDISCLAIMER: - This report is based on information available in the public domain through various media resources. Although the information thus obtained could not be verified, the data has largely been cross checked for inconsistencies. Only such data, which appeared reasonable and practical to the author (based on his professional experience and knowledge) has been included. Furthermore, chapters 01 to 05 have been compiled with information available up to vessel departure from Suez.1. SALIENT FEATURES OF THE SUEZ CANALThe 120-mile-long canal, constructed in 1869, connects the Mediterranean in the North with the Red Sea in the South. The canal is managed and operated by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) since 1956, when the Egyptian government nationalized the Suez Canal Company, which was largely owned by British & French interests. The chairman of SCA is Mr Osama Rabie. Captain Hassanin was on[...]

Hydrologic Models and HEC-HMS Given a spatial unit over the earth’s surface, which is variously known as catchment or watershed or basin, how incident rainfall becomes runoff at the catchment’s outlet -- is probably the most fundamental question to a hydrologist. Hydrologic models (aka Rainfall Runoff Models) are the main tool that has been used by the hydrologists to answer this question quantitatively. A rainfall-runoff model is a simplification of a complex, non-linear, time and space varying hydrological process reality. Over the years many types of hydrologic models have been developed and have been applied to various use cases. In a recently published work by Peters-Lidard et al. (2019), this development has been nicely captured and categorized into following six eras, as depicted in Figure 1. The development of the Hydrologic Modeling Center’s  Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) started in the beginning of the Geoscience Era and it is still continuing in[...]

Drought Declaration: Eka Infra United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) characterizes drought as “a complex and slowly encroaching natural hazard with significant and pervasive socio-economic and environmental impacts, is known to cause more deaths and displace more people than any other natural disaster”. As per the estimate by UNCCD, 1.8 billon people will experience absolute water scarcity, and 2/3 of the world will be living under water-stressed conditions by 2025.The World Meteorological Organization’s publication titled, “Drought monitoring and early warning: concepts, progress and future challenges” (WMO-No. 1006) has defined drought as “an insidious natural hazard characterized by lower than expected or lower than normal precipitation that, when extended over a season or longer period of time, is insufficient to meet the demands of human activities and the environment”.The varied agro-climatic context of Indian agriculture and its general dependence on monsoon rains makes it particularly vulnerable to droughts. Given this context,[...]

Air Pollution Emissions Audit Services in IndiaAir pollution in India is a growing health issue and environmental problem. Some of the most polluted cities in the world, are found in India, where millions of people breathe air that often exceeds the World Health Organisation air quality guidelines for human health and social wellbeing. Of the world's most polluted 30 cities, 22 are in India, according to research by IQ AirVisual, a Swiss-based group that gathers air-quality data globally, and Greenpeace.It has been estimated that more than 51% of the air pollution is generated from industrial processes, with the other significant pollutant emitter being motor vehicles, particularly in urban areas.  India’s poor air quality contributes to the premature deaths of many people every year, and significantly impacts the Indian economy. Unless action is taken the situation will deteriorate further. The current situation is not sustainable.Greater control and audit of India’s industrial processes is[...]

National Safety Week Campaign at Eka InfraThis year, from 4th March to 10th March 2021, India celebrated 50th National Safety Week.The theme of this year’s event was Learn from Disaster and Prepare for a Safer Future.Since 4th March 1972, National Safety Day has marked the establishment of the National Safety Council (NSC), headquartered in Belapur, Maharashtra. The NSC is a Public Trust entrusted with the responsibility of spreading safety awareness among the people of India.This year marked the 50th Birth Anniversary of this landmark organisation that has made a tangible difference in improving India’s safety posture.“Safety work is today recognised as an economic necessity. It is the study of the right way to do things." – Robert W. Campbell, first president of the National Safety Council.Eka Infra also celebrated National Safety Week!From 4th to 10th March 2021, we commemorated this special occasion at two locations: Gopalpur Port, Odisha and our Head office[...]

Relation Between Administration & Organisational Success In any kind of organisation, regardless of its size, experience, sector or industry, its admin function plays a very significant role in ensuring smooth operations and streamlined processes. On a day-to- day basis, routine tasks can pile up without admin staff to handle them and ensure they are completed as per requirement. Also, for every department, delivering quality output on time and within constraints like scope and budget can take the company to new heights of success. And this is one of the many key areas where admin plays a critical supporting role. An administrator is also a very important link between various departments, helping to improve collaboration and deliver more powerful outcomes. Moreover, admin staff are often the first people outsiders such as prospective customers, vendors, business collaborators, etc. speak with. This makes them important gate-keepers and brand stewards for the company. All in[...]

Navigation Audits For The Incremental Improvement Seafarers have always been engaged in a dangerous profession and though much progress has been made in this age of satellite technology, many of the risks remain and incidents still frequently occur on the high seas and in the approaches to ports. Just in the last few weeks we have seen four major casualties. Historically shipping has been a high-risk enterprise with many ships being lost close to port. One of the greatest risks that ship owners, seafarers, charterers or even a port operator takes is that of a navigation incident leading to a major casualty. Incidents come in many forms: collisions, groundings, anchors dragging etc. The industry needs to reflect further, how is it that ships with advanced navigation systems and sophisticated communication technologies still find themselves involved in groundings, collisions and other incidents? Planned, periodic and snap audits have a place in reducing[...]

Sustainable Bridging of Data DeficiencyWorkforce constitutes any enterprise’s most valuable asset especially in the infrastructure sector. The growth and development of any firm is hence based on the development of the workforce as it is technical and technology driven at the management level. Understanding their workforce from the perspective of an asset and intelligence defines the base strength of any enterprise. Development of any employee is contributed by various factors like the social, physical, and work life upliftment with ample focus on basic technical know-how and data management. Focusing on the upliftment of work life of any employee, we must understand that he/she should have the urge to develop critical thinking and scientific temper. These skills enable the employee to handle the competition/ challenges and simultaneously to overcome his/her limitations.All such skills are rooted in two simple words, “reskill” and “upskill”. Reskill is to face the challenges and to learn skills[...]

WHAT IS INDIA’S ATMANIRBHAR TRADE? COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature and way trade will evolve. The effect on trade is already noticeable. A supply shock as China closed its factories was noticed with container ships sailing from China being blanked (suspended). As this shock lessened a demand shock started with shops across Asia, Europe, and the US closing their doors. Economists are comparing the lockdowns with the financial crises of 2008-2009 and the great depression of the 1930’s. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has predicted that world trade is going to fall between 13 to 32%. The global institutions are trying their best to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the world economy. Many countries are focusing their efforts on restarting their businesses and protecting their vital and essential supplies during this and future pandemics. Policymakers are already turning their minds to seek long- term lessons from the pandemic.[...]

The Jiggly Tunes: Opportunistic Use Of The COVID-19 Crisis It seems like yesterday when our mornings started with school; evenings were occupied with outdoor activities and the day ended with completing our homework’s! Indeed, they were typical school days. Currently, we find ourselves struggling to comprehend the new world. A world where pandemics have potential to cause a wreck. New infectious diseases are emerging and causing havoc. Do you feel that spending 24 hours indoors has come out as a new challenge? As days passed boredom strikes and as the saying goes, “an empty mind is the devil’s house”. But in my case the emptiness gave me the inspiration and potential to learn and explore new things. As I was very fond of animals and the facts revolving around them; it gave me immense joy to spread the knowledge. YOUTUBE was an ultimate platform to showcase and spread the gathered facts[...]

CELEBRATING BIODIVERSITY AT EKA INFRA ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Established by the UN, World Environment day (5th June) , is celebrated to raise awareness on environment and mobilise action for environment protection. Eka Infra takes immense pleasure in doing there bit for promoting conservation. At Eka Infra, we invited our staff and their children to come forward and give in their inputs towards creating awareness about World Environment Day. Following this year’s theme of biodiversity, the team and their kids expressed their ideas in form of beautiful art on Biodiversity and Environment.

Impact of COVID-19 on Dredging Industry [The following questions raised by the dredging industry for clarification. The clarification of the author is based on his personal opinion and the same cannot be construed as legal or contractual reference. This series is meant only to share knowledge with the industry] 1. What is the effect of Covid-19 on the Dredging industry? No sector or industry except essential services remains unaffected by Covid-19. Port dredging work remains largely unaffected, unlike inland waterways, river dredging and dredging of closed water bodies that are largely affected. At many ports across the globe, work is uninterrupted. They have adopted precautions issued by their flag state authorities. Dredging work could have halted if the port had experienced complete lockdown by closing its navigational channel. However, globally it was observed that port dredging work, both maintenance and capital, remained fairly unaffected. This was because the port management cannot[...]

EKA INFRA: COVID-19 AND FORCE MAJEURE–PART V India has been under a national lockdown except for essential services. We are entering the 42nd day of the lockdown as we draft this blog. Globally, most of the nations have declared lockdown which has resulted in jeopardizing the supply chain and logistics affecting domestic,international, multi- party contracts and cross border contracts. This effect could result in an unprecedented and an unforeseen potential surge in contractual disputes due to temporary suspension of performance under “Force Majeure”. This event explicitly provides what is beyond the reasonable control of the affected party or was not reasonably foreseen. It is essential to determine if Covid19 will qualify as a Force Majeure event. This will depend on the language of definitions adopted in the contract under the Force Majeure clause. The definitions, in the said clause, should be inclusive of an outbreak of diseases/pandemic to make Covid 19 qualify[...]

A Short Guide to the FIDIC Contracts amid the Covid 19 Pandemic On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis – a pandemic that is time-dependent and geography-independent – as a “public health emergency of international concern”. , This statement followed by the declaration of national lockdowns by several federal and state-level Governments all over the world have jeopardised thousands of commercial contracts in almost every industry. In general, contracts could be governed by well-drafted FIDIC clauses. They could also be based on any standard international format. Alternately, contracts could be completely ‘bespoke’, i.e. tailored to fit the specific requirements of a particular project. This article focuses on FIDIC contracts and the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on these particular types of contracts. Bespoke contracts, governed by Section 56 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872, are beyond the scope of this article. Almost all FIDIC contracts contain[...]

Business Continuity Strategies in a post-COVID World In a little over 4 months, COVID 19, the disease caused by the novel Coronavirus has become a serious international public health concern. To minimise its effects on the health and mortality of their citizens, many countries have declared national lockdowns, a difficult choice that has led to a virtual standstill of economic, business, and social activity. As of 18th May 2020, India had been in lockdown for almost over 56 days. Since the beginning of the lockdown declaration, the Narendra Modi-led Government has periodically reviewed the situation to determine if and when lockdown conditions can be relaxed to allow businesses to commence their operations. However, following expert analyses on the economic impact of COVID19 by organisations such as the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), it is evident that the current slowdown will remain the ‘new normal’[...]

COVID-19 Pandemic Through Engineer's Perspective The “free world”, typified by the US and UK, initially prioritized business over public health and are now paying the price. Even though there are passenger flights, including repatriation flights, still arriving at UK airports, I do not know whether strict health screening and quarantine measures are in place now, or whether the authorities are still relying on people being “honourable” about undertaking self-quarantine and volunteering information on their movements to facilitate contact tracing. The public health situation in the UK today is dire, with up to 900 people dying of the virus daily, and that is just the number of people testing positive who died in hospitals. Many more are dying in residential care homes and at home, most of which are thought to be due to the virus. If the infection and death rate curves in the UK population of approx. 65 million are[...]