Date:14/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/14/stories/2008041451490300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Gas cutters now in demand in Chennai

Kannal Achuthan

At present, 85 persons are working with the Chennai Corporation

— Photo: S. Thanthoni

SLICING THROUGH: A worker operates a gas cutter on the scaffolding of a hoarding on Anna Salai.

Chennai: Workers who can operate gas cutters are in high demand, as the drive to remove hoardings across the city has intensified.

For three nights in a row, the workers have sliced through giant scaffoldings using oxy-acetylene torches.

On Wednesday night – the first day of the hoarding removal drive – 20 gas cutters were pressed into service. The number increased to 60 gas cutters on Thursday night. At present, 85 gas cutters are working with the Corporation.

Workers from tinkering, fabricating and welding shops have been hired.

A gas cutter team of six workers can bring down the metal framework of a hoarding in three hours.

The job is not easy as workers have to operate the gas cutters from a height.

The team is paid Rs.3,000 to Rs.6,000 based on the size of the hoarding.

“We have hired all the available manpower and equipment going up to even Tambaram,” said Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni.

Hoarding owners are also rushing to employ workers for gas cutting as the metal framework can be sold as scrap iron.

The scaffolding of large hoardings would fetch about Rs.75,000 when resold.

Difficult to get

“Labour is difficult to get now that the hoardings are being removed everywhere. Even if we take down the hoardings, we will be able to get back only 10 per cent of our investment,” said K. Chandrasekharan of Tamil Nadu Private Site Hoarding Owners’ Association.