Construction Industry: Why it needs a new approach to worker verification and climate adaptive schemes

One of the biggest obstacles for construction workers is the complex and often inefficient verification process, particularly for those registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers (BOCW) Act. Currently, the system heavily relies  on paperwork, often resulting in delays and inaccuracies. Workers are required to submit multiple forms of proof, including employer certifications, trade union verifications, or, in some cases, self-certifications or telephonic confirmations. This fragmented process is time-consuming and leaves workers vulnerable to gaps in accessing welfare benefits.

Migrant workers, who comprise a significant portion of the construction workforce, face even greater hurdles. Their transient lifestyle often excludes them from welfare schemes, as existing systems struggle to track and verify their employment status across regions. A major contributing factor is the lack of interoperability between state and central databases, which makes it challenging to track their eligibility for benefits and ensure that funds are properly allocated to support their welfare. The situation is further exacerbated by under-resourced audits of BOCW welfare accounts, limiting the ability to assess the effective use of these funds.

Beyond verification, climate change poses a growing threat to the construction workforce. Rising temperatures, heatwaves, floods, and other extreme weather events increasingly affect workers’ health, safety, and productivity. Construction workers, who often work long hours outdoors, are particularly vulnerable to these hazards.

Ensuring the protection of construction workers from environmental risks is a pivotal component in developing a climate-adaptive comprehensive framework that focuses on three key areas: protection, prevention, and promotion. It is imperative to ensure workers have access to mobile health clinics, healthcare services, proper hydration, and rest breaks. Additionally, implementing climate-resilient work schedules to minimise exposure to heat and dehydration is constructive in safeguarding the workforce.

Understanding the Potential Solutions

To address the challenges of worker verification and climate adaptation, several innovative solutions can be implemented. One effective approach is creating interoperability between state and central databases, which would streamline the worker verification process and reduce administrative burdens, particularly benefiting migrant workers who need access to their data across regions. Additionally, integrating biometric authentication into worker profiles can simplify verification, enhancing security and accuracy while reducing reliance on physical documentation.

Implementing a one nation, one labor card initiative would provide workers with a portable identification card to access welfare benefits seamlessly, eliminating repetitive registration processes. Integrating the ESHRAM platform with BOCW boards across states can create a cohesive system for tracking and verifying construction workers, ensuring that no worker is overlooked.

A climate-adaptive framework is also essential, including mobile health units at construction sites, mandatory breaks during extreme heat, proper hydration access, and climate-resilient work schedules to protect workers from climate change impacts. Finally, interdepartmental collaboration is vital for the success of these systems, promoting effective communication among government departments.

Regular audits and social checks will help ensure that these initiatives benefit workers and address their needs, leading to improved governance and support in the face of verification and climate adaptation challenges.

The construction sector is essential to India’s growth, and so is the workforce that drives it. As the industry continues to expand, there is an urgent need to reform worker verification systems and implement climate-adaptive schemes to ensure the well-being of these vital workers. Streamlined verification processes, combined with protections from extreme weather conditions, can create a safer, healthier, and more equitable environment for the millions of construction workers across the country.

—The author, Tarun Cherukuri, is Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), at Indus Action, a leading NGO with a focus to bridge the gap between policy and action.

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