NEW DELHI : The demonetisation drive has hit several infrastructure projects in the city, many of which are already running late due to various reasons. Coming right after a 10-day ban on construction, the move has resulted in a 20-50% attendance at the sites, either because many labourers have returned to their villages or are standing in cash queues.This has affected work at various construction sites, including Barapullah phase II and III, the parallel RTR flyover and those of schools and hospitals. Sources said the productivity was down by 30-40% this month, affecting largely projects under small contractors. “For instance, we will not be able to deliver at least 40% of the classrooms that were supposed to be completed by the end of this month. At large sites too where we have regular staff, the strength is down to about 50%. At small construction sites which rely on daily wagers, the strength is down to 20-25%,” said an official.The situation was already grim as many labourers fell severely ill due to chikungunya and dengue. “When they started showing signs of recovery, the government ordered a 10-day ban on construction activities to combat air pollution. There was no way to keep labourers back in the city as they are daily wagers,” said a senior official of the public works department ( PWD ). After a long gap, it takes time to reorganise workers and machinery that would also have been demobilised, he added. “By the time the workers started returning, the demonetisation was announced.”PWD said availability of day-to-day material was also causing problems. “There is a supply chain mechanism that has been affected by the government’s order. The small contractors are unable to procure day-to-day material, affecting work further,” said an official.“As it is, this is a time when many daily wagers return to their villages for farming. However, contractors are now contacting these workers and we are expecting some improvement by the end of the month,” said the official. He added that this would imply a delay of about a month or so in most projects.