Fearing Covid-19 Lockdown, Migrant Workers in Kanpur Seen Walking Back Home As Public Transport Takes a Hit

Kanpur: With increasing coronavirus numbers, the fear of imposition of lockdown has been making migrant workers anxious. In a repeat of last year’s migrant exodus, several migrant workers were seen walking on NH 27 in Kanpur on Monday to return to their native places. On Sunday too, hundreds of migrant workers were stranded as the government’s Sunday lockdowns affected public transport. The workers said that the buses were put on election duty due to Uttar Pradesh’s gram panchayat polls, Hindustan Times reported.

“I am returning to my home in Bihar & I have come from Gujarat. I fear there will be another lockdown so I want to return home safely,” said a worker.

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Amid surge in #COVID19 cases, migrant workers were seen walking on NH 27 in Kanpur to return to their native places.

“I am returning to my home in Bihar & I have come from Gujarat. I fear there will be another lockdown so I want to return home safely,” says a worker pic.twitter.com/lGZ2YlVJ2n

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 19, 2021

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Kanpur | Migrant workers stranded as public transport takes a hit due to Covid-induced weekend lockdown.

“2 buses go to Azamgarh in morning but they were already full. Officials say all the buses are on election duty. There are at least 500 people waiting here,” they say pic.twitter.com/cG7TEEqOUw

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 18, 2021

Owing to rising COVID-19 cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday had announced a lockdown on Sunday in all districts, and many fear that a lockdown is imminent. Presently, night curfew is in force in Lucknow, Kanpur City, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Shravasti and Moradabad.

The country had last year witnessed a major movement of migrants labourers and workers after the imposition of a nationwide lockdown in the last week of March. In a repeat situation, hundreds of migrant workers in several metro cities of the country, have started returning to their native places to avoid last year’s fate. Migrant workers in Delhi, Mumbai and Gurugram last week also started to leave for their homes.

Meanwhile, as coronavirus cases continue to surge, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly decided to put the national capital under complete curfew from tonight till next Monday morning. With India’s health infrastructure in shambles, the country yet again reported the highest single-day spike of coronavirus cases with over 2.73 lakh fresh infections and 1,619 deaths in the last 24 hours.