Coronavirus lockdown: Failing to anticipate exodus, states now gear up to deal with migrant workers

Failing to anticipate the exodus of migrant workers from cities during the lock-down, states are now gearing up to ensure that these workers do not travel further defeating the purpose of social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as they scramble to arrange enough shelter homes and food. The past couple of days saw thousands of migrant workers moving out of the cities of Delhi and its suburbs, including from industrial hubs, either on foot or on vehicles, prompting the Centre to review the situation and instruct states to enforce the lock-down and disallow any sort of travel between cities.

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States have also been asked to seal the borders between districts as well as states. Activists, politicians and academicians had warned the government about the possible reverse migration of workers from cities to villages and demanding to weave a social security net around them during the lock-down, as they were out of jobs in cities. With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issuing fresh instructions on Sunday to ensure that there is "no movement of people across cities and highways" during the lock-down, the state administrations will have to immediately identify locations to set up relief camps and arrange provisions for food distribution.

Read: Coronavirus: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

"This is going to be a herculean task," a senior official said. The Centre has also said that people who have violated the lock-down and travelled during the period of lock-down will be subject to a minimum 14 days of quarantine in government quarantine facilities. In its order, the MHA has also asked states to take additional measures to ensure adequate arrangements for shelter and provision of food for the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers at the place of their work. In Kerala, the administration found itself in some trouble when a section of migrant workers in Paippad of Kottayam district came to streets on Sunday demanding north-Indian food or else they be sent back home soon. However, they were pacified soon.

Kerala government has already set up 4,603 camps housing 1.44 lakh migrant workers so far and providing free food to them. Many migrant workers said they were facing "hostile attitude" from local people, rather than the police. In Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal-led government has appealed to migrant workers not leave the capital assuring them of providing food in designated schools. It is also in the process of setting up relief camps for migrant workers.

However, there were complaints from stranded migrant workers in the capital that many of the schools were at a distance and police were not allowing them to walk to the facility. As visuals of thousands of workers walking towards Anand Vihar Bus Terminal to catch a vehicle to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Social Welfare Minister Ram Pal Gautam were on streets appealing to people to not leave the city.

The issue also snowballed into a controversy with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath accusing the Kejriwal government of pushing the migrant workers out of Delhi, an allegation which was denied by Sisodia. In Chennai, the municipal corporation is at present lodging around 2,000 migrant labourers in its community halls and provide them food besides medical check-ups and screening. Several district administrations, including in Tiruppur where over 2,000 labourers from various states are stranded, are also chipping.