Over 80 Migrant People Have Been Rescued Near Odisha-Andhra Border

 

Over 80 migrant workers underwent a harrowing ordeal as they attempted to make the long journey back to their hometowns on foot during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown. The workers, hailing from several districts across Odisha, had been employed in different parts of the neighboring Andhra Pradesh. However, with the imposition of strict lockdown measures that halted all transportation services, the migrants found themselves stranded without a way to return home.

Out of desperation to be with their families, the group of over 80 men, women and children embarked on the arduous 300 km trek from various districts in Andhra Pradesh to their hometowns in Odisha. Exhausted after walking non-stop for over two days, with little food or water, they were struggling to continue as they walked along the deserted national highway. It was then that a police patrol team noticed the migrants in a weakened state. Seeing their pitiful condition, the police officials swiftly arranged to bring them to the nearest cyclone shelter in Ichapuram.

At the shelter, the migrant workers were provided much needed relief. Officials made arrangements for their care, providing food, water and basic medical assistance to the exhausted group. Many amongst them, including women and children, had reached a state of physical and mental fatigue after the grueling multi-day journey on an empty stomach. The timely rescue prevented any further deterioration in their health. Authorities also contacted their district administration back in Odisha to coordinate safe return of the workers once transport services resume after the lockdown is lifted. The incident exemplifies the hardships faced by millions of informal sector workers struggling to return to their villages amid the ongoing crisis.