After 56 days, since the first COVID-19 case was reported in India on 30th January 2020, finally, on 25th March 2020, we are locked down.
The outbreak of SARS -CoV2 in Wuhan, China, was reported to the World Health Organisation by the Chinese Government in November 2019. COVID-19 is the most disastrous disease which is taking the whole Earth in its grip right now.
Because of the outbreak of this respiratory disease, almost every nation is locked down as a precautionary measure. What makes SARS - CoV-2 more dangerous is the nonexistence of any vaccine or medicine to resist and treat this viral disease. Recent research works have shown that the possible source of this Virus was Bats. This Virus transmits through human to human. WHO (World Health Organisation) has already declared COVID -19 a Pandemic.
The world economy, our day to day life, jobs, and agriculture, everything is hit by this pandemic. The streets are empty; businesses are stopped, no sound of construction, everything is silent. In this situation, the lives of daily wage workers are more distressed.
Thousands of migrant workers are walking towards their home with their family and children. One of the main reasons for their departure is the fear of starvation and no employment.
These people mostly migrate from their hometowns in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other cities in quest of livelihood.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are two states in the northern and eastern parts of India, respectively. With eighty parliamentary constituencies, four hundred and ten legislative assembly constituencies Uttar Pradesh is one of the largest states. Bihar has eight parliamentary constituencies. The total area of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are 243,286 Km² and 99,200 Km², respectively. According to the 2011 census, the population density of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are 828/km² and 1106/km².
From the remotest place of North East India to the city of dreams Mumbai, migrant workers are everywhere. Most of them are daily wage workers who do not have much savings or permanent places to live and lack the fundamental requirements of life.
Due to the CoronaVirus outbreak, a total shutdown of cities and businesses was an urgent need to stop further spread of this Virus, the service sector, construction sector, and industries are locked down. This lockdown is directly affecting the lives of millions of daily wage workers.
A total lockdown is justified, and it is the only solution to save people. Still, as thousands of workers are on the streets heading towards their hometowns, they are hardly maintaining any social distancing, as they'll reach their villages if anyone of them carries this Virus and do not preserve self-quarantine after reaching their hometowns, the Virus may spread through them in their locality.
But, they do not have any other alternative. For them, the sky has fallen over their heads; with no work, it is tough for them to meet ends. Although The State government of Uttar Pradesh has lately arranged buses for their departure,
A combined effort of the state governments of the respective states from where they're migrating and central Government would have made this lockdown easier for them as well as minimize the chances of Virus transmission through them. Adequate measures, planning, and timely action would have helped these peoples a lot.
In our everyday life, we hardly notice them; perhaps many of us were not even aware of their existence in such a considerable number. In big cities like Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata everyone has been busy for decades in their own life, all are running in an unannounced unobservable race, no one has time for others. But at once, the cities stopped running. The people who have left their houses to eat food and have a better life are again going back to the place from where they came in the same hope of having a safer experience and food.
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