Migrant workers given mass disinfectant bath in Bareilly

Action ordered against officials; those exposed to chemical to be examined

31/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,LUCKNOW

Hosed down: Healthcare workers spraying disinfectants on migrant workers in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday. PTI

Migrant labourers returning to Bareilly were forced by the district administration to take a open-air bath with a disinfectant before being allowed entry into the district.

Sodium hypochlorite solution, commonly used as a bleaching agent to remove stains, was used on the migrants, officials later admitted.

Footage of the incident showed the group of migrants, including women, squatting on the road near a checkpoint in as officials in protective gear sprayed the solution through a hose pipe on them. While at least two officials film the incident, one of them is heard asking the migrants to close their eyes, telling them that the solution affects the face.

The nodal officer for COVID-19 control in Bareilly, Ashok Gautam, said the administration did spray the migrants with liquid disinfectant, but insisted it was not a chemical solution. He said the administration had taken the step following the arrival of several hundred migrants.. “We tried to keep them safe; asked them to shut their eyes,” he said.

Following the incident, District Magistrate Nitish Kumar ordered action against the officials concerned. The district chief medical officer was asked to conduct a medical check of persons exposed to the liquid.