HUNDREDS of volunteers will be visiting construction sites across the country to hand out bottles of water, laban (yoghurt drink) and fruits to workers toiling in the sweltering heat as part of an annual campaign.
The eighth edition of the Thirst Quenchers campaign, spearheaded by the Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF), will be launched in the coming weeks.
The annual drive aims to spread awareness about staying hydrated and healthy throughout the summer months by distributing bottles of water and other items to labourers at their camps and work-sites across the kingdom.
“Thirst Quenchers is our annual campaign that targets workers across the country who are provided refreshments by a team of volunteers,” ICRF chairman and general practice physician Dr Babu Ramachandran told the GDN.
“Last year, we covered 4,000 workers of different nationalities as part of the campaign.
“This year, the eight edition will be launched soon with the support of the Labour Ministry and the Indian Embassy.”
The campaign comes as temperatures are expected to rise as high as 45C at the peak of summer.
Bahrain, along with the rest of the GCC countries, enforces a mid-day work ban during July and August when summer temperatures hit or come close to 50C.
The law, which was amended through a ministerial edict in 2013, is intended to protect workers from potentially fatal heat-related medical conditions.
Employers who flout the ban face up to three months behind bars and fines of BD500 to BD1,000, or both.
Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan said last year that 99.87 per cent compliance with the ban was registered, and 27 violations involving 52 workers were recorded.
The Thirst Quenchers 2023 campaign is expected to continue until the end of August.
“We usually start the campaign ahead of the annual summer work ban which has helped the workers over the years,” added Dr Ramachandran.
“This year, we have several students who are eager to volunteer for our campaign, which we welcome. Our teams will also be distributing flyers on heat awareness and conduct interactive sessions during the distribution drives.
A non-registered group, the Lights of Kindness, has already started distributing refreshments and even reusable water bottles to workers.
“We have three main campaigns – Beat the Heat, Beat the Cold and Reach the Unreached – that are conducted throughout the year,” said Lights of Kindness founder Syed Haneef.
“The Beat the Heat campaign has begun and we have started to distribute refreshments to labourers in several locations, and this will continue for a couple of months.
“We distribute reusable water bottles, caps and other items to help protect workers from the sun.”
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