Bhubaneswar, India. There are jobs and there are ‘jobs’. One occupation that is high up there, literally, is that of a construction crane operator. With Bhubaneswar rising, a select few of these workers are perched in tiny cabins against the now dark skies watching over parts of the city rising heavenwards.
Orissa POST caught up with one such operator at a construction site in Rasulgarh. For him the heights of 43 metres and high wind speeds are part of his day’s — or often, night’s — work.
Yogesh Kumar, a senior crane operator with a construction firm, is no stranger to fear. But he believes life lies beyond that barrier.
“There is a risk in every profession and if you stay away from something because of the fear it will only increases this fear. I had experienced fear in the initial days on this job. But once I faced it, it vanished. If I had stayed away from the job in fear I should have been just one other jobless person,” Yogesh said.
An experienced hand at operating these behemoths that have made construction of high-rises much easier, Yogesh detailed life in the operator’s cabin. “Our cabin has wireless radio for communication and equipment that gauges wind speed. Operations are stopped when wind speed rises above 45 kilometres an hour. There are other necessary safety precautions, too, which significantly reduces the risk,” Yogesh says.
One factor that also helps Yogesh is that he has his feet firmly on the ground. The giddying heights and the comparative uniqueness of his job don’t make this worker overconfident. But he believes the job deserves respect just as any other under the sun. “I believe that every profession deserves respect. There are jobs available for people who are ready to work. Pessimism spoils the chances of discovering opportunities,” he said.
jose k joseph
post news network
