Of the over 500 migrant workers who travelled from Maharashtra and arrived at Salem early on Thursday morning, 133 who belonged to the central region were sent to their home-towns on buses arranged by the Tamil Nadu government.
The men have all been quarantined at various facilities in their home districts. A total of 21 men were from Pudukottai, nine from Perambalur, 12 from Ariyalur, 29 from Nagapattinam, 23 each from Tiruvarur and Tiruchi and 16 from Thanjavur district have been quarantined.
The 23 men from Tiruchi district, besides two drivers, have been quarantined at the Kallikudi Market complex in Manikandam near here. Health department officials lifted throat swabs from the men who had been working at an electrical equipment manufacturing company in Maharashtra.
The workers had made private travel arrangements to reach Salem and had to shell out up to ₹2,500 per person for the trip, they said. They had requested the authorities in Maharashtra to send them home since March but received no response.
“They finally approached us last week and said they would make arrangements but did not return after that. We decided that we could not wait any more and applied for permission to travel,” said Ajith Kumar a 23-year-old who hails from Thottiyam in Tiruchi.
The Maharashtra government allowed 508 men to travel to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday morning, he said, and the journey took them 48 hours, including the huddle at Salem. “We underwent testing at Maharashtra before boarding the buses too. We hope we will be sent home as soon as these tests come back negative,” Mr. Ajith said. The journey from Maharashtra to Salem was particularly taxing as the vehicle they travelled in did not stop anywhere for any meal, says G. Madhan Kumar from Ariyalur district. “The driver only stopped to urinate but did not even care to ask if we were hungry. Even he did not eat. We shelled out so much money for the ride which was not worth it,” he said. Once at Salem, food packets were given by the Tamil Nadu officials who also ensured that they boarded the right buses to their home districts, all for free, he said.
Mr. Madhan worked at a pharmaceutical company in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra as a salesperson along with 12 others who also hailed from Ariyalur.
Although their respective workplaces made special arrangements for their stay, the men longed to be at their homes, especially after news of cases increasing in Maharashtra caused anxiety. “I have not been able to visit my parents since I left for Maharashtra 10 months ago and now I cannot wait to reach home,” Mr. Ajith said.