As many as 50 migrant workers, who were stranded among many in earthquake-ravaged Nepal, returned to their native villages in Kendrapada district by Thursday.
Most of the Nepal returnees were from Alapua, Choudakulat, Amrutamanohi, Bhuinpur, Kalashpur, Penthapal, Ghusuriamal, Sanamanga, Ketuapala, Dihasahi ad Batipada localities, official sources said. On Wednesday, district Collector Debaraj Senapati visited some villages residents of which are in Nepal now. H also met returnees during his visit.
Nine of the returnees were identified as Ramesh Chandra Jena and Khirod Kumar Sethy of Alapua ad Suresh Chandra Sethy, Niranjan Sethy, Bulu Sethy, Urmila Sethy, five-year-daughter Prachi Sethy (Bulu’s daughter), Praksh Sethy and Ramesh Sethy of Amrutamanohi village.
While Bulu had sustained minor injuries as he jumped from a two-storied building when the earthquake hit Nepal. All the returnees were working as plumbers in Kathmandu, informed the Collector.
“We were staying in a temporary camp at Kalankkuleswar. We had to survive on inadequate dry food supplied by private organisations. Chill wind was very painful at the camp,” said Prakash, a returnee, adding that the rescue and relief work has been going on at a snail’s pace there.
He said they came from Nepal to Birganj on Monday by a train and from there to Howrah by another train later. They boarded a Bhubaneswar bound train at Howrah and reached Jajpur roadon Tuesday. They hired a four wheeler to come to their villages. They each spent Rs 2,000 as travel cost, Prakash said.
Similarly, another returnee Bulu said he had an harrowing experience as he saw 10 to 15 people dying in front of him. If Nepal returnees are to be believed, more than 5,000 migrant workers from the district are stranded in the Himalayan country.
But as per the official records, the number of migrant workers of Kendrapada stranded in Nepal went up from 335 to 373 by Wednesday.
The district Collector informed that the Union Government is taking stops to bring back the migrant workers of the district. Regarding number of migrant workers, he said the administration has received information regarding 38 more migrant workers who include 30 from Pattamundai tehsil, one from Rajnagar tehsil and seven from Derabish Teshil.
Meanwhile, the tehsil and block administrations have been directed to conduct door-to-door survey to prepare a registry of both inter-State and overseas migrant labourers. Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been requested to assist the officials in this regard, said the district Collector.