With several districts in Maharashtra entering a lockdown, the threat of a coronavirus induced lockdown has reportedly put migrant workers on the edge with some thinking of returning back to their native places in order to avoid being caught off guard.
Even though the Maharashtra government is yet to make an announcement as such, due to the effects of the lockdown and the subsequent shut down last year, several migrant workers were left stranded without any food or money and have had to walk long stretches or hitched rides to go back home. The plight of the migrant workers etched in visuals of people walking alone, or with their families, friends or in groups from one city to another has been constant during the lockdown. While state governments had been making efforts to help the migrants go back home, several people faced incomparable hardships.
Moreover, as per data, between March 2020 and June 2020, more than one crore workers migrated to their respective states on foot. While many workers were injured, some even lost their lives. The information was given in writing in the Lok Sabha on September 22, 2020.
In the past, roughly 10 lakh migrants working in Mumbai had applied to leave for their hometowns. About 6.5 lakh had left on trains so far while 1.5 lakh had used other modes of transport. The top five states and Union Territories from where maximum trains have originated are Gujarat (979), Maharashtra (695), Punjab (397), Uttar Pradesh (263) and Bihar (263). These Shramik Special Trains were terminated in various states across the country. The top five states where maximum trains have terminated their journey are Uttar Pradesh (1520), Bihar (1296), Jharkhand (167), Madhya Pradesh (121), Odisha (139).
Share
Tweet
