Walking home: Who they are, why they are leaving

Why he left: “There is a lockdown, So, there is no more work. Suddenly the trains also stopped. So, I have to somehow reach my home in Bihar.”

Dinesh Kumar Singh, a contract labourer.

Dinesh Kumar Singh, 51
Family members: 4
Profession: Contract labourer
Earning: Rs 12,000 a month; Headed towards: Jamui, Bihar

Why he left: “The work stopped, so there was no point to stay here away from family. As we get paid at the beginning of month, I don’t have much cash in hand. So, I am trying to reach home.”

Rafiqul Sheikh, a plastic goods hawker.

Rafiqul Sheikh, 20
Family members: 5, including a newborn daughter
Profession: Plastic goods hawker
Earning: Rs 400 a day; Headed towards: Murshidabad, Bengal

Why he left: “I worked at Domjur in Howrah. After the shutdown we spent some time at our rented room. But how long can we stay like that? So I decided to head home anyway.”

Reporting: Ravik Bhattacharya, Photos: Partha Paul