CHENNAI: Tulasiraman braves the searing heat to trudge home at Tiruninravur, 60km from Kancheepuram. The 58-year-old carpenter had given up hopes of getting any new order after struggling for the last two days due to the lockdown in the wake of coronavirus spread. Waving frantically at any passing vehicle, he walks aimlessly wiping his sweat and stopping in shade to catch his breath.
“Drivers are not too sympathetic,” he says while pointing to his feet which have blisters as he walked barefoot. “I don’t have any alternative. My family is in Tiruninravur,” he says highlighting how he is running out of water and food due to shutdown. He is not the lone daily-wage earner who faces such a plight. Thousands of daily wage earners, some locals and many from northern states, are unaware of the cancellation of buses and trains.
Nitish Gupta, a worker from Jharkhand, said he has been left behind by his friends who left for his native place. “I working in a shop and now I am on my way to Chennai to catch a train,” he told Express. When informed there is no train or bus, he refused to believe. So is the ordeal of a painter who has to walk for 10km to reach his destination in Chennai. A bit suspicious, he says he has been walking from Maduravoyal. “I have to go another 10km,” he said while asking for drinking water.
Interestingly, even truck drivers are thinking twice to offer lift to migrant workers or daily wage earners fearing infection of the virus. A group of migrants from Andhra Pradesh, including children, were seen requesting truck drivers for hitchhike, near a toll booth at Redhills after walking miles from Chennai.
Meanwhile, Labour Department has decided to distribute civil supply ‘kits’ containing rice, palm oil and other essentials to 15 lakh homeless people and workers in the unorganised sector, including migrant workers. “We plan to distribute these kits by next week.
Until then we have directed the district revenue officials to take care of all problems,” said a top official of the department. The official said the revenue department will also be in charge of providing accommodation for homeless people and migrant workers whose livelihood has been disrupted by the lockdown. “Currently, we do not have any shelter under the labour department. We have discussed the possibility of arranging an accommodation with all district collectors and Disaster Management officials,” he said. (Inputs from Sushmitha Ramakrishnan)
33 Chennai pilgrims rescued from Nepal border
Chennai: A group of 33 pilgrims from Chennai, who were stranded at Indo-Nepal border, at Sunauli in Uttar Pradesh, have been rescued, following the efforts of Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and P Raveendranath, MP. Three more from other states were also rescued. Most of those from Chennai were aged above 50 years and hailing from Korukkupet and Bharathi Nagar areas. They got stuck on March 24. The next day, the two leaders brought it to the notice of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. On the evening of March 27, all them started moving towards India. Till then, they were accommodated in a hotel near the checkpost on the Indian side.
Tamil pilgrims stranded in Gaya seek govt help
Chennai: At least 15 Tamil pilgrims claim they are stranded in Gaya and have sought government’s help for food and accommodation. “We started from Tiruchendur and reached Kasi on March 15 and our return train from Gaya got cancelled. We have no way to return to Tamil Nadu,” said Veerabaghu, a priest who had guided the team of pilgrims. A revenue department official from Thoothukudi told Express that officials are in touch with the 15 people from their district, but believe that many more are stranded. “We are ready to coordinate with Gaya officials, if need be,” the official said.