ARIYALUR: Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Andhra and Kerala may still be reeling from the Koyambedu effect but some patients in Ariyalur -- for want of better opportunities -- are actually waiting to return to the hotspot for work.
Over 2,000 COVID-19 cases have been linked to the Koyambedu wholesale market in Chennai. As the cluster grew, districts in the State which had gone several days without cases suddenly faced a crisis. Ariyalur, for instance, had only eight COVID-19 cases till April 30. However, Koyambedu workers native to the district returned home in fear once cases were reported from the market. The district now has 348 COVID-19 cases. Of these 278 are workers at the vegetable market, one of the largest in Asia, and 58 are their contacts.
Despite the ordeal, many wish to return to work at the market once they recover and the lockdown is lifted. The reason is an absence of decent job opportunities in the district. Although, Ariyalur is known for having several cement factories and limestone quarries, many residents prefer to look for work in Tirupur, Madurai and Chennai instead. Reportedly, over 3,000 people from the district work as daily wagers in and around -- at tea stalls and hotels -- the Koyambedu market, in some cases over generations.
Take Murthy*, for instance. The 36-year-old man tested positive on returning from Koyambedu to his hometown of Namangunam. Murthy’s father used to work at Koyambedu. "My father worked as a loadman there. That's how I started going there for work. I earned between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 each day,” he said. According to Murthy, even if he somehow manages to find a job in Ariyalur, he is unlikely to earn as much as he did at Koyambedu.
"My family depends on me. I have two sons - a six-year-old and a 1.5-year-old. My family has been severely affected financially by the coronavirus and the lockdown. I cannot wait to get back to work in Koyambedu and fix the severe financial crisis we are in," he said.
Forty-eight-year-old Kumar* from V Kaikatti, who works as a load man in Koyambedu, concurred. “For generations, we have been going to work in Koyambedu. Over 500 vegetable lorries from several states come to the Koyamedu market daily so there is work for many people. That is not the case in Ariyalur and neighbouring districts,” he said.
“I cannot earn much here. After Chennai recovers from the coronavirus, I will return to my job back in the Koyambedu vegetable market," the patient said.
Mohan*, another COVID-19 patient, said he had worked as a loadman at the market for over a decade. "There are no big companies in our district that offer jobs,” the 45-year-old said. “Ariyalur has only cement factories and they don't need more workers.”
“The Koyambedu market is what has been saving us,” Mohan said.
“The government should do something, maybe set up more factories to improve livelihood options in the district," he said.
He too planned to return to Koyambedu for work.