Close to 1.12 lakh migrants arrived in different parts of Bihar on Wednesday onboard 70 Shramik special trains, leaving the state with the daunting task of quarantining them to contain Covid-19, which has already spread to all 38 districts. The migrant inflow on Wednesday was the single largest so far.
Government sources said this was just the beginning as more than a lakh migrants will return daily to the state for the next four days with a maximum of 1.23 lakh workers expected to arrive on Thursday, May 21.
“A record 77 Shramik special trains will run on Thursday,” said a government official.
“In the next nine days, 574 more trains carrying close to 9.18 lakh people will be reaching the state. Till May 19, 6.10 lakh migrants/people have arrived in the state through 427 special / Shramik special trains and buses. This means, that Bihar by May end would have received 15.28 lakh migrants/people,” IPRD secretary Anupam Kumar said.
Another official summed it up as “the biggest ever” evacuation drive.
East Central Railway (ECR) officials say that though the number of arriving migrants is less than the daily average footfall of passengers, yet it is quite huge.
{{/usCountry}}East Central Railway (ECR) officials say that though the number of arriving migrants is less than the daily average footfall of passengers, yet it is quite huge.
{{/usCountry}}“Before the lockdown on March 23, approximately 7.76 lakh passengers travelled by 165 pairs of mail/express trains either originating or passing through Bihar. Similarly, 388 passenger trains serviced Bihar, including 108 running in Bihar alone,” said chief public relation officer (CPRO), ECR, Rajesh Kumar.
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In addition to the migrant special trains, the state government is also running 4,500 buses to ferry migrants.
Railway sources said that most of these trains are running to full capacity. “Earlier, 54 passengers were travelling in 72 berth sleeper coaches as we were not allowing the use of middle berths. Similarly, in LHB coaches, only 60 passengers were allowed against 80 berths. But now, all seats are being utilized,” said the CPRO, raising questions over the absence of physical distancing.
The influx has alarmed the Bihar government since many asymptomatic migrant labourers returning by the trainloads are testing positive, necessitating quarantine.
The state government has created 7,840 block quarantine centres where 5.45 lakh migrants are staying, said the IPRD secretary.
“In addition to this, 76,500 people are also living in 151 disaster relief centres being run by the disaster management department,” he added.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar has directed officials to conduct random testing and strengthen isolation wards at the block level with more beds and facilities, as the number of arrivals is only going to grow.
The focus has now shifted to panchayat and block levels, where the migrants will spend their mandatory 14 days at the isolation centres.