Lockdown forces migrant workers to leg it home from Manesar

The 21-day lockdown has suddenly left several thousand workers in the informal sector without jobs and any means of sustenance

27/03/2020, ASHOK KUMAR,GURUGRAM

Such a long journey: Daily wage earners returning to their homes in Uttar Pradesh on foot from Manesar. Bibek Chettri

It is around 3 p.m. Carrying luggage on their backs and wearing black masks, seven men, visibly fatigued, are signalled to stop by a policeman who hurriedly jumps out of his vehicle at Rajiv Chowk on the Delhi-Gurugram highway. The officer makes a few inquiries before letting them off, asking them to walk in twos and threes and maintain a proper gap.

The men used to work as loaders at an automotive company in Bilaspur village in Manesar. But the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, announced on March 24, has suddenly left them without jobs and little money to survive. Running out of money and with no means of support, the men, mostly from Shahjahanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, decided to walk close to 400 km back to their villages. When this reporter met them, they had been walking for six hours.

“Yeh hartal abhi kaafi din chalne wali hai. Hamare pass khane ka bhi paisa nahi bacha hai (This lockdown is going to last for quite a few days. We have no money left even for food),” said Ramesh, the eldest in the group. He says seven other workers also set off on foot for Uttar Pradesh but he has lost contact with them.

Ajit, another member of the group, said they had returned to work after Holi barely a week ago, having taken home their savings for the festival.

“We make ₹500 one day but earn just ₹50 the next day. The pay is not fixed. We have been without jobs for five straight days now and have exhausted our meagre savings,” he explained. Another worker Vijay said they did not have enough cash to pay the room rent, and some of them had not had food for the past 24 hours.

Deepak said they hoped to find some work in their villages since it is the harvest season; they can tend to livestock and be with their families in these testing times, he said.

Mr. Ramesh said policemen at several barricades stopped them, but let them off after questioning. He claimed no help had come from the administration or the automotive company they worked for.

“We hope to reach in at least five-six days,” he said with a straight face when asked how long it might take them to reach home.

The youngest in the group, his hair dyed maroon, smiled as he said he was from Nepal and had no clue how long it would take him to reach home.

₹1.7 lakh cr. lockdown package rolled out

Rations doubled for three months; we do not want anyone to remain hungry: Nirmala Sitharaman

27/03/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,NEW DELHI

The Centre on Thursday announced a ₹1.7 lakh crore relief package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide lockdown, providing free food and cash transfers to support the poorest and most vulnerable citizens during the crisis.

Announcing the details, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the foodgrain rations for 80 crore poor people would be doubled for the next three months and supplemented by 1 kg of local pulses.

Cover for health workers

The Centre will provide ₹50 lakh medical insurance cover for the next three months for about 22 lakh health workers in government hospitals, including ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) staff, medical sanitary workers in government hospitals, paramedics, nurses and doctors.

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana had been announced within 36 hours of the lockdown and it would take care of the needs of poor and migrant workers, farmers, women, pensioners, widows and the disabled, said Ms. Sitharaman.

“We do not want anyone to remain hungry, so we will be giving enough to take care of their foodgrain requirement, protein requirement in terms of pulses. On the other hand, they should also not remain without money in hand, so several measures through DBT are being taken so that money reaches them,” she said.

Over the next three months, each person who is covered under the National Food Security Act would get an additional 5 kg wheat or rice for free, in addition to the 5 kg of subsidised foodgrain already provided through the Public Distribution System (PDS). One kg of pulses a household would also be provided for free.

Cash transfers — a mix of advances via existing schemes and additional sums — would also be given to vulnerable groups under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.

About three crore poor pensioners above 60 years, widows and disabled people would be given ₹1,000 in two instalments over the next three months. The 20 crore women holding Jan Dhan Yojana accounts would get ₹500 a month over the same period.

Wages were hiked under the MNREGA scheme from ₹182 to ₹202 a day. The Minister said this would provide an additional ₹2,000 per worker.

Heat may slow down virus, but early summer unlikely

Amit.Bhattacharya@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:27.03.2020

Many Indians have been praying for an early onset of peak summer this year in the light of some studies that have shown that transmission of Covid-19 infections may slow down in high heat. That hope may be dashed, with Met department forecasts showing the chances of summer setting in early are low. Temperatures across most of India are likely to remain below normal at least over the next two weeks, the India Meteorological Department’s extended range forecast reveals.

The forecast, which gives weekly outlooks for the next 28 days, shows that the probability of the mercury hitting 40°C, even in central India, are low till the second week of April.

“Several parts of north and central India are likely to get rain over the next two-three days under the influence of very active back-to-back western disturbances (WDs). Again, next week, some rain is expected in north India, particularly over the Himalayas,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of IMD. He added that temperatures aren’t expected to rise significantly over most parts of India over the next two weeks or so.

“Currently, we see the influence of northerly winds right down to latitudes where Mumbai is located. These are relatively cool winds which, along with the rainfall, are likely to prevent temperatures from rising. However, in south India, thunderstorms are beginning to show up, which is a sign of rising heat,” he said.

A recent analysis by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology had shown that coronavirus infections may transmit at a slower rate in places where the weather is hot.In general, the high summer period in India sees the least number of virus infections.

According to the extended range forecast for the March 26 to April 9 period, temperatures in all four regions of the country are expected to be below the climatological values (normal).

Full report on www.toi.in

VIRUS WATCH

2020 NEET-UG scheduled for May 3 likely to be postponed

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:27.03.2020

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Under Graduate (NEET UG) 2020 scheduled for May 3, 2020, is likely to be postponed as a result of the 21-day lock down. The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday decided to not issue the admit card that were to be downloaded by the candidates on Friday. The Joint Entrance Examination (Main) will also be rescheduled as the lock down will continue till April 14. The NTA will issue a notification on the status NEET-UG 2020 on Friday.

Deciding not to issue the admit cards for the time being, a senior NTA official said, “We will not be issuing the admit cards on March 27, 2020, as scheduled. The new date for downloading of admit cards will be issued later following a review. A final call will be taken jointly by the ministries of health and family welfare and human resource development.” The health and HRD ministries are in talks regarding the dates for the issuing of admit cards. Based on the directions, NTA will issue a notification on Friday on the future course of action.

LIFE UNDER QUARANTINE

‘The healthcare ‘angels’ were always with me, day & night’

27.03.2020

When I reached the Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery on March 20, I was praying hard for my test to be negative. I gave my samples and was sent home to self-quarantine. But unfortunately, after a day, I was tested positive for Covid-19 and was moved to the isolation facility on March 22.

The first few days were tiresome since I was put on strong medications. Once I started regaining my strength I tried to get to know about the ‘angels’ who were taking care of me. They were always around, wrapped in body suits, day and night, to ensure that we are well taken care of. And people outside have no idea about the things they go through. Everyone has been busy complaining about how hard it was to spend 21days at home, but they are not aware about the fact that many of these healthcare workers have not been able to be with their family as well.

When Covid-19 struck the UK, my parents tried their best to get me back home. Authorities were imposing travel restrictions and I knew I had to reach India before March 18. I managed to book a flight to Chennai via Dubai on March

16. I had developed a sore throat by then. From Dubai airport I booked a flight to Kochi but by the time I reached Chennai, I had only half an hour left to catch the Kochi flight. The long line for immigration clearance made things even more horrible. I got clearance but unfortunately by the time I reached the gate, my flight had taken off. I was panicking, and my health had deteriorated completely.

But I was determined not to lose hope and booked a morning flight to Kochi. I was forced to spend 10 hours at the airport. There was panic in the eyes of everyone I saw there. And I had to make sure that I did not fall asleep in the airport or be near others as I was worried about getting infected with coronavirus. My body had given up on me, my head was pounding and I experienced a burning sensation on my head. Those 10 hours felt like 10 days. I somehow managed to kill time and it was time for me to board the next flight. Landing in Kochi made my heart pound for some reason and my eyes welled up. Finally, I was home.

While they were screening me for coronavirus at the airport, I made sure that I informed the authorities about my complete travel history and provided them with all my flight details. I was asked to selfquarantine for 14 days. Coming out of the airport I saw my dad waiting for me and I wanted to hug him, but I did not.

My dad had shifted my mom to our uncle’s house and he was fully prepared for the next 14 days of home quarantine. We were doing fine until I started getting chills and my temperature kept fluctuating. We informed Disha (the 24X7 helpline) and doctors about the situation and I was asked to go to the facility at Kalamassery. It has been a stressful week since. But now, I am feeling better and hope I will recover soon.

(The writer is a student who returned from the UK. Name withheld on request)

Corona nightmare giving children sleepless nights, anxious moments

Priyanka.Kakodkar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai  27.03.2020

: A few days after school closed, the nightmares began. Eight-year-old Jahnavi (name changed) would arrive at her parents’ bedroom at 3am, saying she was scared. “This went on for three days. Then she finally said she had been getting a stomach ache in the evenings and was scared she had contracted the coronavirus,” said her mother, who works in an advertising agency.

Last week, 12-year-old Advay (name changed) had a panic attack. “He suddenly said he couldn’t breathe. After he calmed down, he told us he was scared that we (his parents) would be killed by the coronavirus,” said his mother, who teaches in an international school.

With the pandemic shutting down schools and offices and news about its spread and impact being discussed non-stop in homes, the anxiety is leaving its mark on children. As parents discuss the death toll, panic about how to keep the disease at bay and whether their groceries are running out, children cannot escape its impact.

Long before schools closed down, Covid-19 was already on everyone’s radar. “I was scared to go to school. If someone sneezed on me, I thought I was going to get it,” said nine-year old Jahaan (name changed). He refused to go down to the building garden, much before the lockdown was declared.

The biggest change after the lockdown is social isolation: no school, hanging out with friends or playing downstairs. “Suddenly the whole normality has changed. Children don’t go to school and their parents, who may have been working, are at home all the time,” said Dr Alka Subramanyam, associate professor of psychiatry at BYL Nair Hospital.

Full report on www.toi.in

Day 2 of lockdown better across TN as people learn to stay indoors

Fewer People Found Out On Roads, Say Cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  27.03.2020

Day 2 of the 21-day lockdown saw better adherence to the rules across the state as fewer people stepped out of their houses on Thursday.

Police, on their part, intensified the crackdown on the curfew violators and booked hundreds of people who were found on roads.

In the first part of the day, people, mostly men, were out on the roads to buy essentials. But by afternoon, the number of vehicles on the roads thinned and customers in grocery stores dropped considerably.

The Madurai Central Market, which was closed due to overcrowding on Wednesday morning, was opened on Thursday morning. Once again, there was an influx of buyers and despite efforts by the authorities to convince people to maintain a safe social distance, they did not comply and the market was shut again.

To contain crowding in vegetable markets, the district authorities have now decided to restrict market operational hours to four hours. “This will help people realize that the shops will be open for four hours and they may not run out of stock. At the same time, we can prevent people venturing out throughout the day in the name of buying essentials,” said a corporation official.

In some places, people who stepped out to buy vegetables and essentials had to return empty-handed and some retail stores and farmers markets were found closed. “I have run out of some essentials. I couldn’t find any shops open since I went in the afternoon. I heard farmers markets were closed too. I have to try my luck tomorrow,” A Sakthi, a resident of K Pudur in Madurai said.

Like Madurai, several other places across the state too witnessed curfew in real sense on Thursday as there were fewer persons on road, fewer shops opened and people observed the mandatory social distance while waiting at shops. Police instructed the shops, where there were more people flouting the social distance norm, to be closed.

With the backlash coming from various quarters, police, however, stopped beating curfew violators as they did on Wednesday. Instead, they booked cases on several people. In Coimbatore, more than 100 cases were booked, while in Salem they booked 164 people. They were arrested and let off on bail. Salem city police commissioner T Senthil Kumar said it was mostly youth who violate the rules.

“We have issued them enough warnings. We will start acting tough against repeat offenders,” he said. A few youths caught by police roaming on roads were made to do 200 sit-ups.