JOIN USBokaro's unique project that managed 32,000 migrants
As thousands of returning migrants strained the infrastructure of many states, Jharkhand’s Bokaro administration stood out for its unique “Safe Arrival and Accommodation of Labour (SARAL)” project.
It smartly used Geographic Information System (GIS) to map, monitor and plan a robust response.
Triggered by the lockdown, a total of 32,314 migrants landed in Bokaro district between March and June.
First, the stranded workers had to be brought back safely and their accommodation ensured.
“Consulting panchayaths, the project Fellows created a dashboard. The GIS platform helped collate the data collected from multiple government departments,” Gajanan Rauta, Programme Officer, Aspirational District Program, TRIF told DH.
“Capturing their Aadhaar numbers locally, calls were made to the workers to help the district prepare for their arrival. Route maps were prepared, surveillance teams constituted to segregate arriving workers at checkposts.”
The teams created a skill profile of every worker.
“This helped create a livelihood platform. The state launched a programme where self-help groups were asked to cook and supply food to vulnerable households. Hundreds of such kitchens were opened during the lockdown, and data was fed into the GIS platform” Rauta explained. But many migrants testing positive demanded a healthcare response.
“Data was collected to see from where the majority of cases were coming from. This was plotted on the platform to help create containment and buffer zones. Medical facilities were created appropriately.”