COVID-19: Migrant workers long march from Hyderabad to back home in Telangana districts

The Telangana shutdown especially of Hyderabad has caused immense distress for lakhs of the working-class people.

Hyderabad alone is estimated to have about 10 lakh, such workers, from various states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha. With no transport available, hundreds of these workers are trudging along the highways to reach their native places.

Lakshman (about 30 years) was found walking in the dead of the night along a highway leaving Hyderabad, with his wife and two kids – Mohan (4 years) and Mallikarjun (about 2 years). While little Mohan was taking tiny steps along with his father, Mallikarjun was sleeping on his mother’s shoulder. A few relatives, friends are accompanying Lakshman’s family to Kodangal, their native, about 120 kms from the city.

“We hope to reach our place by tomorrow evening,” said Lakshman, hiding the pain inside to sound assuring for his family, faced with an arduous march. “We are carrying some cooked food with us. Rest, let us see …”

A group of such laborers moving back from Suryapet to Raichur in Karnataka who could manage to cramp into a mini pickup are perhaps the most ill-fated. On Friday night, a lorry collided with the van in which over 20 men, women and children were reportedly loaded. The incident on Hyderabad’s outer ring road has killed eight.

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The first two days of the lockdown saw hundreds of such AP workers stranded at the Telangana-Andhra Pradesh border as the roads were closed. At one point, demanding that they are allowed into their state they clashed with police resulting in a lathi-charge near Dachepalli in Guntur district.

In the wake of such incidents, the two Chief Ministers Jaganmohan Reddy and Chandrasekhar Rao spoke over phone and Rao assured that all migrants in Telangana would be taken care of with food etc. facilities.

Some of such migrants are sheltered in places like the Nampally exhibition grounds, with food arrangements. The government is also providing migrants with free meals from the Annapurna kiosks run by the Hyderabad civic body, normally available for Rs five.

Many Telangana locals are walking to their places within 100-150 KMs from Hyderabad like Medak, Mahbubnagar districts. Though the few vehicles on the roads are not daring to give lifts; villagers, local politicians and policemen are trying to help with food, water, resting at several places.