Last year, India, its economy, and crores of migrant workers paid a huge price, when an unplanned lockdown was imposed just with a gap of four hours for the entire nation to prepare for it. Days prior to that, Modi was organizing Trump-rallies in Agra, Ahmedabad, and other places, which had drew in fans of Modi and Trump from US, that led to a gradual explosion in the Covid19 cases. More than a year has passed since then. Trump has been replaced with Biden in US, where he is doling out funds to contain the pandemic and help the needy. But, in India that dystopic situation has returned to haunt the population with pyres burning on roads in cities across UP, bodies being dumped in river in Bharuch, and relatives wailing over dead bodies in ambulances outside Delhi hospital, with no monetary help from governments.

Also Read: Dystopia 2020

As Delhi witnessed the highest number of cases since the pandemic first struck the country a year back, the Covid19 crisis in the NCR region has deepened. The health infrastructure is in total chaos in the NCR region as Covid-19 cases are growing by never seen before levels. The state governments have imposed major curbs to check the spread of Covid-19, in the wake of rising cases. Delhi is functioning under sweeping restrictions, including a night curfew and weekend lockdown. Noida and Ghaziabad are witnessing low footfall and empty roads due to the similar Covid-19 induced restrictions. The bustling road, Delhi Noida Direct Flyway (DND) is also witnessing limited vehicular movement due to the partial lockdown imposed in both Noida and Delhi. Situation in Ghaziabad was grimmer as people were seen waiting outside crematoriums along with corpses of their relatives due to the surge in Covid-19 death.

Migrant workers began leaving for their hometowns, after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a week-long lockdown in the capital. A massive crowd of migrant labourers gathered at the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal in Delhi to return to their hometowns.

This comes after the Chief Minister urged migrant laboures to not leave Delhi as the lockdown is a shorter one and also assured them that the government will take care of their needs during this period.

Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a six-day lockdown from 10 pm on April 19 till 5 am on April 26 amid the rising Covid-19 cases in Delhi.

Hours after the announcement, a sea of people flooded the Anand Vihar Bus terminal in Delhi to leave for their native places. Covid19 protocol went for a toss as people rushed towards buses with their families. Even police could not manage the crowd.

Also Read: Some Ominous signs

The recent nationwide spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases has cast its shadow on trade and business with migrant workers bearing the brunt of strict restrictions put in place by states.

On Sunday, hundreds of migrant workers were stranded in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur as the government’s Sunday lockdowns affected public transport. The workers said that the buses were put on election duty due to Uttar Pradesh’s gram panchayat polls.  A migrant worker who was among 500 others who were waiting in Kanpur for a bus headed towards Azamgarh stated, “Two buses go to Azamgarh in the morning but they are fully packed. The officials told us that all buses are on election duty.”

The Kaushambi Inter-State Bus Terminal over the past few days saw an increased footfall of migrant workers working in Noida, Ghaziabad and Delhi. Some of those men and women said that they were travelling back home to cast their votes in the rural body elections and that their return was being spurred by fears of another lockdown. Migrant workers were also seen with their families waiting for buses at Delhi Meerut Expressway, near Indirapuram.

Last week, migrant workers in Gurugram also started to leave for their homes after the Haryana government imposed a night curfew in the state. The people returning home to their families in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar said that fears of a lockdown has led them to arrive at this decision. Key transit points in Delhi like Anand Vihar ISBT and New Delhi railway station also saw large numbers of migrant labourers headed home as they feared that the rise in cases in the Capital would force the city towards another lockdown.

Lockdown like measures introduced by several state governments meant a loss of livelihood for many migrant workers working in India’s major cities. Migrant workers, who form an essential part of any city’s economy, faced difficulties when the Centre imposed its first lockdown in 2020 following the first wave of Covid-19. Most of them were unable to find transport and had to walk home in desperation and many died due to exertion, & lack of food, with some trampled under trains.

The recent surge in Covid-19 cases has adversely affected these workers in all major cities like Mumbai and Delhi. Migrant workers in Mumbai after noticing the surge in cases started leaving for their native states starting at the beginning of this month. Maharashtra continues to see migrant workers leave as the state remains worst-hit by Covid-19.

The Covid19 pandemic has proved the apathetic behaviour of governments towards the people working in the informal sector like the migrant workers, who have lost their trust in the system & are heading home with no minimal help to retain their livelihoods in the cities.