Fearing lockdown, migrant workers in TN begin returning home
With stricter restrictions inplace to contain the spread of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu amida sharp spike, guest workers across various sectors fearingfurther increase in infections and a lockdown have startedleaving for their home states.
Many have started queueing up at the Central Stationhere to take train back home.
Among them is a 22-year old Rohit Kumar from Patna,who recently came to the metro.
With cases zooming past 10,000 for the third day in arow, night curfew kicks in from today in the state, asannounced by the government on Sunday.
“The government feels lockdown is essential toprevent the spread of the virus. Ok, but what about ourlivelihood” Kumar asked.
A helper in a packaging unit here, he says he wantsto go home before a possible total lockdown is clamped andmovement is completely restricted.
“There is no point in staying here. I want to go homebefore its too late, he adds.
Like him, Rajinder Rai of Ambala is keen on returninghome soon.
“I have been waiting at the Central railway stationhere since yesterday as I am unable to a get ticket to Delhi.
I hope to head straight to Ambala from Delhi,” he said.
Rai has been working at a construction site insuburban Chennai and claims he shudders at the thought ofgetting stranded in the metro as several thousands of workershad during last years lockdown.
The Tamil Nadu government had on Sunday announcedfresh restrictions including enforcing night curfew fromApril 20 between 10 PM and 4 AM and total lockdown on Sundaysto contain the spread of the virus.
The second coronavirus wave has not impacted theconstruction sector so far largely because many constructionfirms have provided accommodation to their workers.
“There may not be big impact since there is no majorexodus from the construction sector as of now,” asserts SSridharan, Chairman, Affordable Housing Committee, CREDAI(National).
However, the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)sector is facing a peculiar problem. Both self-employedentrepreneurs and workers have become insecure and cluelesson the way forward, claims K E Raghunathan, convenor ofConsortium of Indian Associations.
“On the one side, corona impact is severe and makingthose who got it, run for life. On the other, work ordershave stopped and cash flows have come to a standstill.
Migrant labours have started leaving,” he claims.
To make matters worse, raw material prices have shotup and activities at the units have stopped as movement ofmaterials have become unpredictable.
“As the industries are severely impacted, state andcentral governments must immediately constitute a task forceto handle livelihood loss with experts from MSME and addressimpacts and solutions to each segment, which are affected byrestrictions as per needs,” Raghunathan says.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
