Amid the surge in Covid 19 cases in Maharashtra, people, especially migrant workers fearing an impending lockdown in Western State are returning to their homes. Trains from Mumbai and Pune reaching Ranchi and Hatia Junction have cent per cent occupancies. As per Railway sources, one train each from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Pune Junction reaches daily to Ranchi and Hatia Junction carrying around 1,500 passengers.
Vishnu Sharma, who works in an automobile unit in Pune on reaching Hatia Junction on Wednesday from Pune said, “We are leaving the Pune city because Covid-19 cases are rising here. The fear of last year’s lockdown is still in our minds. The Government last year imposed lockdown and we are left with no other opportunity but to arrange private cars paying more than Rs 50,000 to reach Ranchi. This year too, the situation is becoming scary and we don’t want to take any chances.”
Echoing the views of Sharma his friend requesting anonymity said, “As of now, there is night curfew in many cities of Maharashtra. It is very likely that a lockdown will be put into place. To avoid chaos like the previous lockdown,
we had decided to reach our native place.”
Meanwhile, the Ranchi Railway Division had made elaborate arrangements for passengers reaching Ranchi and Hatia Junction. Neeraj Kumar, CPRO cum Sr DOM Ranchi Railway Division said, “For passengers reaching Ranchi and Hatia Junction there is a facility of corona test. We are requesting passengers to carry out tests at test centres at Railway Junction.”
Kumar also said that apart from this, the Railway is also creating awareness about corona. He said, “As per corona protocol made by Disaster Management Authority, passengers have to follow corona protocol such as wearing masks, use of sanitizers and maintaining social distance.”
However, sources said that due to rush of passengers from western States, corona protocol is not being followed completely. The trains are running with full occupancies, however, the railway has discontinued the facilities of pantry cars in these trains. Passengers are advised to carry food packets from their houses.
Last year with the spread of pandemic, Shramik Special train carrying 1200 migrant labourers reached Ranchi from Telangana. The train – first one to be run in the country following enforcement of lockdown to contain Covid-19 spread from Lingampalli Railway Station in Telangana and travelled non-stop to reaching Hatia Railway Station. Thereafter several trains from different parts of Country reached Ranchi, Dhanbad and other destinations.
Moreover, Jharkhand became the first state to airlift 60 stranded migrant labourers from Leh to Ranchi.
The Jharkhand government decided to airlift these migrants after the Supreme Court directed all states to arrange free travel for stranded migrants. The Jharkhand government intervened after migrant workers reached
out to CM Hemant Soren for help on Twitter.