30,000 leave Delhi-NCR in two days after fresh lockdown talk

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: Rumours of a month-long lockdown have triggered a fresh wave of departures of migrant workers from Delhi-NCR, at a time industries are reaching out to labourers who have already left to come back and resume operations.
Till Monday noon, 175 Roadways buses had left the Kaushambi depot with more than 6,000 migrants. The number was higher on Sunday, when 23,000 labourers were ferried to different places in UP in 698 buses.
A majority of passengers TOI spoke to at Kaushambi said if another lockdown was announced, they would not be able to survive it. Despite hurdles, most of these workers had stayed back in the hope that easing of relaxations would reopen job opportunities for them.
“On Saturday, a group of people in my neighbourhood were discussing that the government might impose a stricter version of the lockdown from June 18. This lockdown, they said, would last a month,” said Sunil Kumar, who worked with a textile unit in Loni. “Last time, I could not muster the courage to join those who had set out on foot. But this time, I have decided to leave for my home in Bareilly before any restriction is announced on movement,” Sunil added.
Tafeel Ahmed, a tailor from Delhi’s Nangloi, said, “The situation in Delhi was already bad and we have seen how worse it can get during the lockdown.” Tafeel could not have waited a single day. “You never know. The government may announce it in the nick of time.”
Roadways buses lined the lane leading to Kaushambi township on Sunday as passengers frantically tried to buy tickets, throwing social distancing norms to the wind.
AK Singh, regional manager of UP Roadways, said, “On Sunday, we dispatched 698 buses to different districts of the state. Our records say 23,198 passengers were transported on Sunday. Till Monday noon, we have already sent more than 6,000 passengers in 175 buses. Most of the passengers feared another lockdown could be announced soon. We tried to allay the fears, but to no avail.”
The government has clarified that no such decision on imposing another phase of lockdown has been taken yet.
In Noida, too, five buses were seized in the past two days after they were found ferrying passengers to Bihar and UP without following safety protocols.
Additional DCP (Noida) Ranvijay Singh said the buses, mostly from Delhi, were headed for various places like Kanpur, Unnao and districts in Bihar, and were picking up passengers from wherever they could.
“These bus owners are violating social distancing norms. The vehicles are being seized and an FIR lodged under relevant sections,” he said.
Shyam Lal Gola, president of the All India Luxury Bus Union, agreed that action should be taken against those not following social distancing norms, but questioned why buses were stopped at the Noida border. “The UP government has allowed buses to ply within the state. Even if they don’t want us to pick up passengers from different points in Noida or cross over from Delhi, they should give one designated point from where we could ply,” he said.