NEA-Qatar centre honouring Jha for his contributions for Nepalese engineers in Qatar.
By Usha Wagle Gautam
Shrawan Kumar Jha came to Qatar in 2005 to work as an electrical engineer at Venus Electrical Trading and Contracting Company. Winning a scholarship from the Indian embassy in Nepal to the prestigious NIT Jamshedpor, Jha worked in TCIL Project before coming to Qatar.
Community recently caught up with Jha to talk about his experience of living in Qatar.
Why did you choose Qatar?
I am from a middle class family and have a huge responsibility towards them. I hadn’t applied to any job abroad, but when I got an offer from Venus, I was surprised. I ended up choosing Qatar because the offer I got was beyond my dreams — something I couldn’t have gotten in Nepal or in any other country even if I struggled for two decades.
What is the difference between the work environment in Qatar and Nepal?
There are huge differences. Facilitating factors like latest technologies, quality and management of work, development-oriented governance and political non-interference in Qatar are hard to witness in Nepal.
How did you find the conditions of Nepalese engineers and entrepreneurs in Qatar?
The condition of Nepalese professionals and entrepreneurs is much better in Qatar than in Nepal. Some of my engineer friends have their own businesses here. This is a matter of pride for us as they are showing professionalism and competence in an international market.
What are the prospects for aspiring young engineers from Nepal in Qatar?
Besides infrastructure development, there is lot of scope for them in other fields too. The opportunity to work with other nationals has broader implications. I would like to emphasise that engineering is an ever-evolving field, which offers myriad challenges across different domains and disciplines. Engineers in the future will be required to perform many complex cross-disciplinary tasks. Qatar is a key destination for anyone who wants to be prepared for the future.
How can we employ engineering expertise learnt by Nepalese engineers in Qatar in Nepal?
Once we go back to Nepal, the things we learn will automatically reflect in whatever we do. The government can take advantage of it by minimising political interference. Our first aim should be to promote engineering education as a promising career for our youth. It is important for us to send out the message that an engineering education opens many doors to a wide variety of career choices. Then we should be able to affirm our commitment to the advancement of the engineering profession. It is important for engineers to keep themselves relevant and up-to-date on the latest technologies and knowledge.
Is there any organisation representing Nepalese engineers in Qatar?
Yes, we have Nepalese Engineers’ Association-Qatar (NEA-Qatar) that works as an umbrella organisation for more than 200 engineers. I am currently the president of it and our target is to include all 500 Nepalese engineers working in Qatar in the organisation.
What are the activities carried out by the organisation?
We are an independent non-profit organisation with our headquarters in Pulchowk in Lalitpur, Nepal. Established in 1962, Nepalese Engineers’ Association represents more than 15,000 engineers today. NEA-Qatar was established in 2004 under the leadership of late Narayan Prasad Chaudary. Since then, the organisation has become a platform for Nepalese and other engineering communities in Qatar.
After the earthquake in April, NEA-Qatar immediately formed an earthquake fundraising committee to collect money from Nepalese engineers working in Qatar and other sympathisers. We collected QR26,675 in total, of which QR19,366 was sent to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, QR2,500 to Sarvodaya Nepal and the remaining amount was sent to affected families in Sindhupalchok.
NEA-Qatar has also provided financial assistance to Kapilvastu fire victims in 2014.
The organisation has strongly raised the issues of Nepalese engineers regarding their registration in MMUP. We have left no stones unturned in highlighting the issue.
We also provide counselling to new engineers who find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
What should engineers know before coming to Qatar?
First of all, they should be familiar with engineering norms and must be hardworking. I also recommend that Nepalese engineers get in touch with NEA in Kathmandu before coming to Qatar.
What should Nepal and Qatar do for the Nepalese community in Qatar?
The Qatar government is doing great work for us. The Nepalese embassy has to update and inform the Qatari government in case of any problems that Nepalese people face. They should also keep themselves updated about rule changes in Qatar and keep the community well-informed.
How can the bilateral relationship be taken to the next level?
Nepalese are liked here and the entire Nepalese population think of this country as their own country. Honesty is the best policy. Small efforts from leaders of the two countries can help.
What direction should Nepal take with its post-earthquake planning?
Nepal is at high risk when it comes to earthquakes. Firstly, the planning process needs to address the key issues of reconstruction of earthquake-hit settlements. Although there were some urban planning attempts in the past, Nepalese cities are not fully planned and developed to respond to disasters.
Lack of proper planning and design standards and their weak implementation have resulted in poorly-designed and constructed buildings. These are, in fact, the real catastrophe.
Most Nepalese build their buildings without employing trained planners, architects, engineers and contractors. In the April earthquake, well-planned and engineered buildings did not fall and were not badly damaged.
As the government is now planning for massive reconstruction, it needs to put emphasis on both managing displacement and guiding a sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction process. Well-prepared plans and designs are effective only when implemented and monitored through efficient institutions.
