813 students stuck in Kota ferried back home by Delhi government

The 18-year-old medical aspirant was among the more than 800 students from the national Capital who was stuck in different coaching centres in Kota after to the nationwide lockdown was enforced to contain the spread of Covid-19 on March 25.

Sharka Uruz’s happiness knew no bounds on Saturday evening when she finally boarded a bus for her home in Delhi from Kota, Rajasthan.

The Delhi government on Saturday sent a fleet of 45 buses to bring the students home.

The 18-year-old medical aspirant was among the more than 800 students from the national Capital who was stuck in different coaching centres in Kota after to the nationwide lockdown was enforced to contain the spread of Covid-19 on March 25.

The Delhi government on Saturday sent a fleet of buses to bring these 800 odd students back home. Amid cheers and applause, the students boarded buses from their respective coaching centres around 5:30 pm.

Uruz, a resident of east Delhi’s Mandawali, said she was returning home after six months. But for her, and many others like her, the past one month (since the lockdown came into force) felt like a year living away from home. “We have a very tight schedule here. I was supposed to go home after the NEET exam on May 5. But then the lockdown was announced and the exam was postponed. The majority of students later left for their homes. We were only five students in our hostel during the last 40 days. It was really tough to survive. We were sad, living away from home as a pandemic raged on. But now, finally, we are going home,” she said, while speaking over the phone.

As many as 45 buses were sent by the Delhi government to Kota on Friday night to bring back 813 students back home. “The government had also sent a team of nine social welfare officers, doctors, officials from the transport department and revenue department in order to facilitate the thermal screening of students and to ensure social distance is maintained throughout the journey,” a senior government official said.

Officials said the buses reached Kota between 10:30am and 12:30pm on Saturday. The vehicles were then sanitised, before the students were allowed to board. ‘’One homeguard and one constable of Delhi police were deployed on each bus. Personal Protection Equipment kits were provided to the staff and buses were thoroughly sanitised upon reaching the destination. Not more than 22 students are allowed in one bus/coach,” said Harish Sabharwal, general secretary of Delhi contract bus association.

All the buses later gathered at a point from where they left for Delhi together at around 8pm. Students are expected to reach Delhi by 5am on Sunday.

“We were allowed to board the buses after the thermal screening. We were provided masks, sanitisers and packed food for the journey. Only one student was allowed to sit on a seat meant for two,” said Himanshu Yadav, 20, another medical aspirant and a resident of north Delhi’s Jahagirpuri.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday tweeted saying, “Hundreds of our children studying in Kota were stuck for more than a month. We are arranging for their return to Delhi. I am so happy they will soon be reunited with their families.”

Delhi transport minister Kailash Gehlot said that the students would be screened again at the time of arrival. A senior government official said, “The students will arrive at ISBT from where we will arrange DTC buses to send them home. Our staff will be available at the time of their arrival and the student will be screened again. If anyone is found symptomatic, we will take steps as per laid down protocols. All the students are advised 14-day home quarantine.”

The students were also briefed by Delhi police officers to not call their parents to pick them up from the drop off point. “Do not ask your parents to come to pick you up. There should be no gathering at the bus stand. We will drop you all to your homes,” a police officer told the students.

The students in Kota had earlier this week launched an online campaign on Twitter demanding that the Delhi government make special arrangements to bring them back. The Delhi government on Thursday announced that it will send buses to bring back students from Kota.