Workers throng Gurugram expressway, looking for ways to return home

Following the lockdown of Gurugram, throngs of factory workers and daily wagers lined the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Monday with their bags packed, looking for

Following the lockdown of Gurugram, throngs of factory workers and daily wagers lined the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Monday with their bags packed, looking for transport to their hometowns in neighbouring districts and other places in neighbouring states.

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With no public transport available, they waited at Shankar Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Rajiv Chowk and MG Road for cabs and other vehicles to give them a ride to Delhi. Most workers said that they were staring at a jobless future at least in the short term because of the complete shutdown of factories, offices and shopping malls, forcing their return home.

Garment industry units based in the city said around 7,000 to 8,000 workers were asked to return on Monday morning when they reported for work as manufacturing has been suspended until March 31.

A majority of the workers moving towards Delhi hailed from Meerut, Bijnore, Bulandshahr, Pilukhwa, Hapur and other areas of western Uttar Pradesh. Groups of workers from Rewari, Narnaul, Alwar and Dharuhera, in Haryana, were also looking for transport to return home.

Mohammed Harun, of Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, who works as a welder, said that the workers were concerned about a prolonged lockdown. “There is no work available as house owners have stopped welding works. I am going home and will return only after the situation improves,” he said, walking towards Delhi.

Besides the daily wagers and workers, those holding steady jobs were also spotted exiting the city.

At Shankar Chowk, Imran (full name), who is a civil engineer at a large realty project in Udyog Vihar, said he was waiting for a cab to return to his hometown in of Pilkhuwa in Uttar Pradesh. He said it was better to return home as work had stopped at the site and he could face problems getting food and essential items. “I have been waiting for almost an hour for a vehicle. If I don’t find one, I will return to my room,” he said.

Imran conceded that there is a possibility of him choosing to remain in Gurugram because food is being provided for people employed in the project.

Wasim (full name), a resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, who works as a daily wager, said he doesn’t have the option of staying on in the city and that he and his friends would even walk back to their village. “What are we going to eat? We work and earn on a day-to-day basis. The work has stopped and it would not be wise for daily wagers to stay here any longer,” he said.

Officers of Gurugram Police, which has set up a checkpoint on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway at Shankar Chowk, said they were allowing only vehicles ferrying essential items and goods to go towards Delhi. “Cabs and other vehicles are not being allowed to operate and people are being discouraged from needless travel,” a police officerl on duty said, requesting anonymity..

A large number of industrial workers, including those working in garment units, had to stay home on Monday as a majority of the automobile, garments and other manufacturing units in the city shut production.

Praveen Yadav, president of the Gurugram Udyog Association, said, “We had sent an SMS to most of our workers but that did not deter many workers from coming to work on Monday. All factory units had put locks on their main doors, forcing the workers to go home.”

Those running manufacturing units assured workers that their salaries wouldn’t be cut and they need not worry about not being paid up to March 31. “We are abiding by what the state government said on Sunday. All workers will be paid and their salary won’t be cut,” said Yadav.

(With inputs from Rohit David)