Coimbatore: Eighteen daily wage workers, including six women, of Kollimalai in Namakkal district, trekked through thick forest for about 30km from Kerala to Tamil Nadu after they were denied permission to cross the border. The Tamil Nadu police and revenue department rescued them near Thondamuthur and put them up at a community hall.
The group, which had been working at a pepper estate at Kuruvanpadi in Palakkad district for three months, was jobless after the lockdown. As their little savings dried up, they approached the Kerala police to seek permission to cross the border, but were denied. M Suresh Kumar, one of the workers, said, “We set out from Sholaiyur in Kerala on Monday 6am and walked through the forest till the evening. Then we camped in the forest. Five of us remained awake during the night to guard the others. Fortunately, no wild animal crossed out path.”
The group reached Vellarukkampalayam village near Thondamuthur in Tamil Nadu around 10am on Tuesday. Soon they were spotted by the Thondamuthur police and district revenue officials. They were later lodged at a community hall at Kulathupalayam village near Thondamuthur.
“We provided them food. We are taking steps to send them to their hometown in specially arranged vehicles at the earliest,” said Rajakeerthana, revenue inspector, Thondamuthur.
The group, which had been working at a pepper estate at Kuruvanpadi in Palakkad district for three months, was jobless after the lockdown. As their little savings dried up, they approached the Kerala police to seek permission to cross the border, but were denied. M Suresh Kumar, one of the workers, said, “We set out from Sholaiyur in Kerala on Monday 6am and walked through the forest till the evening. Then we camped in the forest. Five of us remained awake during the night to guard the others. Fortunately, no wild animal crossed out path.”
The group reached Vellarukkampalayam village near Thondamuthur in Tamil Nadu around 10am on Tuesday. Soon they were spotted by the Thondamuthur police and district revenue officials. They were later lodged at a community hall at Kulathupalayam village near Thondamuthur.
“We provided them food. We are taking steps to send them to their hometown in specially arranged vehicles at the earliest,” said Rajakeerthana, revenue inspector, Thondamuthur.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Quick Links
Kerala Coronavirus Helpline NumberHaryana Coronavirus Helpline NumberUP Coronavirus Helpline NumberBareilly NewsBhopal NewsCoronavirus in DelhiCoronavirus in HyderabadCoronavirus in IndiaCoronavirus symptomsCoronavirusRajasthan Coronavirus Helpline NumberAditya ThackerayShiv SenaFire in MumbaiAP Coronavirus Helpline NumberArvind KejriwalJammu Kashmir Coronavirus Helpline NumberSrinagar encounter
Get the app