Migrant walking to Raichur from Bengaluru dies in Ballari

A 29-year-old woman from Venkateshwar Nagar in Sindhanur taluk of Raichur district died at VIMS Hospital in Ballari on Tuesday.
Gangamma M
Gangamma M

BALLARI: A 29-year-old woman from Venkateshwar Nagar in Sindhanur taluk of Raichur district died at VIMS Hospital in Ballari on Tuesday. She took ill after covering around 230km on foot, truding home after the nationwide lockdown was imposed in late March. Gangamma M, who worked as a labourer at a construction site in Bengaluru, had  travelled to Tumakuru, and was on the way to her native town by foot. She collapsed and later breathed her last here.

Gangamma had started her journey along with her family and  fellow labourers. They are said to have got on to a tractor after paying a hefty sum to the driver, but police stopped the vehicle at Tumakuru, forcing its occupants to walk. Medical superintendent of VIMS Dr J Mariraj said that Gangamma was admitted to the hospital on April 2 by the district administration. She was weak after having walked a long distance, and was suffering from a kidney-related ailment as well.

“She fell sick after walking for miles without proper food and rest. After three days, she stopped responding to treatment and died,” he said.Her husband, Mallikarjun H, also a daily wage worker, refused to buy the hospital’s theory. He claimed that his wife had died of “hunger and improper treatment”. Their only son studies in Tumakuru.

A family member admitted that Gangamma had a history of illnesses and “moreover, she had walked a long distance in harsh conditions”.“We asked her to stay in a shelter provided by the government but she refused, and walked despite feeling weak. She was determined to walk back to her village, but sadly, we lost her,” he added.

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