Covid-19 lockdown: Millions stranded and vulnerable; burdening healthcare

There are upwards of 60 million migrant workers in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Delhi, according to the 2011 census. Some 33% of these migrants hail from Uttar Pradesh, 15% from Bihar and 6% from Rajasthan, followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi at 5% each, says India Migration Now, a Mumbai-based agency.

On March 24, the Centre invoked the National Disaster Management Act, which put the country under lockdown for 21 days from March 25. Subsequent guidelines shut down all commercial and private establishments, except for essential services, to minimise human-to-human contact. The lockdown also sealed state borders by halting all transport services. This put the brakes on the livelihoods of millions of workers in the unorganised sector and many were left stranded without any source of income. While no statistics are available yet on the exodus following the lockdown, hundreds of thousands are expected to have tried to take any means available — bus, by foot or other means — to return home.

At risk

Experts say migrants who are currently travelling on the roads are burdening the health system and also hurting their own health. “There are multi-fold issues like lack of food, clean water, and sanitation, along with the stress they are being subjected to,” said Indranil Mukhopadhyay, associate professor for public health at OP Jindal Global University in Sonipat. “In general, the population has diseases like diarrhoea, TB, and malnutrition among children and adults, which make them more vulnerable to an infection.”

Data: Rajya Sabha; Analysis: Indiaspend