BEIJING, June 16 – “I should thank the Chinese government for giving me positive affirmation. I wish to visit China and experience its development by myself,” said Nirdosh Kumar, a Pakistani stripling working for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Kumar made the remarks when he was awarded the “Outstanding Pakistani Employee” of CPEC, along with the other 17 individuals in December 2020.
Kumar is a safety supervisor at the power plant of Thar Energy Limited (TEL), a project under the framework of CPEC.
Every morning, after the routine meeting on safety, Kumar always follows his mentor to conduct regular inspection in each execution site, including tens of meters’ high steel structure factory and complicated crossing construction faces.
He is in charge of supervising the implementation of clients’ safety requirements and workers’ work standards. He alerts his fellow workers to personal safety.
His diligence, high responsibility and dedication to work soon made him stand out from all the 30 safety supervisors at the site. Both Chinese and Pakistani work staff give Kumar a thumbs-up when mentioning him.
“Kumar is a man of great industry and he can complete all the assigned tasks on time. Kumar would timely ask questions that he did not understand, which is very rare among the post-90s group,” said proudly Zeng Qicai, the Chinese safety manager at the site of TEL power plant.
At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly rampaged the world. The situation was severe in Sindh where TEL power plant is based. The anti-epidemic task was unprecedentedly arduous at the site as there were short of manpower and materials.
Kumar stepped forward and said, “I will stay at the site.” As a key Pakistani worker of the anti-pandemic group, Kumar took part in making the epidemic prevention plan of the site.
Kumar also had to publicize knowledge and measures of epidemic prevention and control.
His daily work included taking workers’ temperature, disinfection, quarantining relevant people and delivering food for them.
This state had kept for eight months.
“These are what I should do. It’s my duty to ensure staff’s health and wellness,” said Kumar.
During more than two years, Kumar has not only grown with this project but also has deeper understanding of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
As he shared with Pakistani workers, energy is the engine to drive social-economic development. Local economic development will be improved gradually. So will people’s living.
“As a constructor of CPEC, a flagship project under BRI, I know that besides improving Pakistan’s energy supply, BRI has brought development opportunity for Pakistan,” Kumar said.
The Chinese version of this article was first published in China Economic Herald.
Nirdosh Kumar, a Pakistani works at the power plant of Thar Energy Limited under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
