This story is from May 23, 2020

Brick kiln workers not keen to return home

Brick kiln workers not keen to return home
Bhubaneswar: Migrants from western Odisha who work in brick kilns of southern India feel that they need not hurry to return home since they are safe, working and earning.
Labourers from Balangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sonepur, parts of Bargarh and Boudh districts migrate to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in November every year and return in June.
With the Covid-19 outbreak, labourers working in other industries faced difficulties due to closure of the units located within towns or cities but not the brick kilns.

Researchers working on migration trends said the brick makers work away from the hustle and bustle of the cities making the environment safe. Besides, they have to work in proportion with the advance they have received. Out of 180, 000 brick makers, around 10,000 have returned so far while the number of returnees working in other sectors is more than 50,000.
Bhakta Hans, a native of Ranimunda in Nuapada district is now working in a brick kiln in Telangana’s Rangareddy district along with his family. “I have registered with the Odisha government portal to return but I am in no hurry. I will complete my work as I have received the payment in advance. Second, here we are staying at an isolated place and don’t have any fear of the disease. We fear we might contract the disease while travelling in train with others. We have urged our brick kiln owner to provide us a bus so that we (limited people) can travel home in that,” Bhakta told TOI.
Saroj Barik of Aide et Action, who has been observing the migration trend of the brick makers for a decade now said the brick making labourers will delay their return as they want to complete their work.
Jagannath Bag of Tikrapada in Balangir’s Titlagarh block working in a brick kiln in Andhra Pradesh said they are working day and night to complete the assigned work as they have already received the advance amount. “Let the rush at railway stations ease. We will then plan our return. As such, we will have to spend close to one month in quarantine,” he said.
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