E-Paper
Over two dozen Jharkhand migrants stuck in Nepal suffer from Covid-like symptoms
At least 26 migrant labourers from Jharkhand’s Dumka district are stuck in Sindhupalchok district of Nepal
At least 26 migrant labourers from Jharkhand’s Dumka district are stuck in Sindhupalchok district of Nepal. They have sought the Jharkhand government’s help through a video message for their immediate rescue as all of them are suffering from Covid-19 like symptoms and facing a shortage of food due to lockdown, HT has learnt.
In the video message, the workers said they are stranded in Nepal due to the lockdown and most of them have fallen sick but are getting no medical attention. They have requested the Jharkhand government to rescue them and save their lives.
Speaking from Nepal, a migrant worker Narayan Das, a resident of Ramgarh block of Dumka district, told HT over the phone that they were stuck at Gauri Gaon village under Bagmati circle in Sindhupalchok district of Nepal. Das said all 26 workers are residents of Dumka district.
“We had come here for construction work in a hydro-power plant about two and half months back. A contractor from Himachal Pradesh took us here. However, we all started falling sick one by one for the past week. We have symptoms like fever and cough. Some of them were given saline but we are not getting proper medical care here,” Das said.
He said, “In view of soaring cases of Covid-19, a lockdown has been imposed here. So, we are also struggling to get food. We don’t have money to buy food, get treatment or return home.”
“We request the Jharkhand government to please help and rescue us from here, otherwise, we may die without proper treatment,” Das said.
State migrant control room (SMCR) officials said they were in touch with the labourers. “We have communicated the Dumka administration to provide them immediate help,” said Shikha Lakra, SMCR team lead.
Deputy development commissioner (DDC), Dumka, Sanjay Singh said, “We have been informed that around 35 labourers are stuck in Nepal. However, we are not focusing on numbers as we have to bring them all, whosoever is stranded there.”
“Since they are stuck in a foreign land, we have to follow certain protocols. The deputy commissioner is writing a letter to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu seeking guidance on how to rescue them. We will begin the rescue operation once permission is granted,” Singh said.
He said buses would be sent according to the number of labourers stranded there. “A team of paramedics equipped with Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits would also go to ascertain the health condition of the labourers. If anyone is found infected with coronavirus disease, we will ensure a separate arrangement to bring him. In case anyone found serious, we will ensure to get a better medical facility in Nepal,” he said.
Not only in Nepal, thousands of labourers who are stranded in different states of the country, have also sought the Jharkhand government’s help in their rescue. According to the data provided by the state control room, as many as 6044 migrant workers are stuck in different states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and want to return.
Lakhs of migrant labourers working in different parts of the country have already returned home after soaring cases of coronavirus disease Covid-19 in April this year.
