HYDERABAD: Monsoon may come as a relief to Hyderabadis after weeks of relentless heat, but for the migrant workers stranded on the streets of Secunderabad, who are waiting for a train to their hometowns, it is agony. As a majority of trains have fully been booked up until June 20, these workers, who had left their workplaces during the lockdown, are forced to spend nights on the streets outside the station, despite the HC directing the State to ensure their welfare on a PIL filed by advocate Vasudha Nagraj.
However, several NGOs and civil society groups have come to their aid and have temporarily accommodated them in a primary school. Nearly 150 migrants have made this school their home, after their tickets to Bihar, Orissa and Bengal were pushed to the waiting list time and again, forcing them to prolong their stay on the streets with no shelter.
“With no work in Kamareddy, we had come to Secunderabad, only to learn that there is only one train to Bihar. We booked the train and stayed on streets, but our tickets were on the waiting list. It never got confirmed,” said Chandan from Katihar, Bihar, who is part of the 150 people lodged in the school.
It was on June 7 that they moved into a vacant government primary school, from where they attempted to book tickets for the second time.
“We are not educated and cannot read. With great difficulty, we got someone to cancel our tickets on June 10 and received the refund. Now, we have booked it again, but we’re still on the waitlist,” he added. The group has nearly eight pregnant women and over 25 children below the age of 10. While they are a lucky few with shelter, several migrants continue to live on the streets of Secunderabad, exposed to Covid-19 and the monsoon.
“The situation looks grim because they have no money. They’re spending whatever they have on train tickets. When the tickets don’t get confirmed, they’re not even in a position to seek refund. The government must provide them food and shelter, if not travel arrangements as the rains have worsened their situation,” said Joseph Thomas, a good samaritan, who has been helping these migrants find food and lodging.