In the wake of coronavirus lockdown, thousands of migrant workers from Rajasthan, working in major cities of like Gujarat, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara have started to leave cities to reach their native places either by walk or by motorcycles, in view of a complete shutdown of transportation services.
As per sources, more than 50,000 workers, which include mostly migrant workers and daily wagers from the tribal belt of Gujarat and neighboring Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan left for their hometown, considering the shutdown of all construction sites for indefinite periods.
After cessation on all the construction sites in major cities like Gujarat, Surat, Ahmedabad, and Vadodara, thousands of migrant workers started walking back to their native places, amid a shutdown of transportation due to lockdown. #coronavirus#nationlockdown#worker pic.twitter.com/4043Vn3oSh
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According to a government official, police and some voluntary organizations were making arrangements for their food on highways while the workers walk to their native.
In major cities, all construction sites have been shut for indefinite periods, which left the migrant workers with no work insisting them to leave for their native villages in the Godhara, Dahod districts of Gujarat, and Jhabua of Madhya Pradesh. By 23 March, Gujarat as well as most other states and Union Territories were already under lockdown and have also suspended public transport.
According to Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi, the Rajasthan government has made arrangements for migrant workers and hired buses to take them back.
However, thousands of stranded migrant workers across the country have set out walking on foot to reach home in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, the number of positive coronavirus cases rose to 649 in India and the death toll has increased to 13, as on Thursday, with one death each reported each from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh.
