The sudden imposition of the nation-wide lockdown led to many people being stranded in locations different from their hometowns. The case of migrant workers became very difficult as they were left with no options to return to their hometowns and their temporary residences in other places also becoming shutdown. There are over 1000 migrant workers from places like Bihar, Jharkand and West Bengal, who tried to reach the Central or Egmore Railway stations in Chennai, to board trains to return to their native places. However, the cancellation of all modes of transport, left them stranded with no means to go anywhere. The Police chased them away from the stations and with nowhere else to go, most of these migrant workers took to lodges in and around the stations to stay for the time being.
However, it has now come to light that a cluster of over 650 migrant workers including women and children have been stranded in about 36 lodges, in the Walltax Road, Kulandhai Street and their surroundings. These people have already exhausted all their money and have been suffering from hunger issues with no means to get any food. The owners of the lodges they are staying in are also pressurising them to pay for their stay, despite the Government Order not to do so. The Greater Chennai Corporation has also not paid any heed to the issues of these migrant workers and they are now left with hunger, possibility of eviction and no shelter and even more so - sanitation issues. The owner of a specific lodge has taken to cutting off electricity and water supply to the rooms, to make these workers leave and this has caused severe sanitation issues. Some good samaritans have come together to form the Chennai Citizens COVID Fund for Migrant Labour and they are trying their best to bring this pitiable situation of the migrant workers to the notice of the authorities and obtain some help for them!
Check out the statitsics of the migrant labourers in Chennai lodges, here:
