UP’s first Shramik Special train bringing back 847 migrants

Uttar Pradesh’s first ‘labour’ train, the Shramik Special, having 847 migrants onboard, will reach Charbagh railway station early morning on Sunday. The train that left Nasik at around 10:22am on Saturday, is perhaps the first train to operate during the lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to contain the deadly corona virus outbreak.

Both Northern Railways (NR) and District administration have made elaborate arrangements at the station to maintain social distancing among the labourers.

The initiative is a part of the UP Government’s exercise to bring back migrants from different states. After being brought here, the migrants would be quarantined in their respective districts.

Divisional railway manager (DRM) Lucknow division, NR Sanjay Tripathi said, “We will act in co-ordination with the UP government, district administration and Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC). We have also made arrangements at the station to strictly ensure social distancing.”

NR officials who did not wish to be quoted, said the migrant labourers would be received at two points—portico one and portico two. “At both the places, we have painted blocks on the platform floors on which the labourers would be asked to stand to maintain social distancing. There would be thermal scanners at both the porticos where the migrants would be scanned,” the NR officer said.

Once the migrant labours cross the thermal scanning where medical teams would be deployed, the district wise segregation would start where they would be asked to stand in groups (gap among the people in group would be one metre). “There would be only one exit gate open from where these migrants would be allowed to leave the station premises,” officer further said.

Mukesh Meshram, divisional commissioner, Lucknow said the migrants alighting at the station would first undergo health check-up. “Those who are through would be segregated district wise. We have also arranged around 65 buses. The groups would be asked to board the buses leaving for their respective districts,” said Meshram. The commissioner further said that they had also informed the district magistrates of the districts to receive the migrants and to put them under quarantine for 14 days. He said that on their arrival at the station, it would be ensured that the food packets and a bag of essential goods was handed over to each and every migrant.

7,500 MIGRANTS REACHED UP TODAY

On Saturday, around 7500 migrants who were stranded in Rajasthan and Uttarakahand arrived in the state capital. Raj Shekhar, managing director (MD) said the two states transported the migrants to the borders of UP from where around 285 buses would be deployed to transport the migrants to their respective home districts. Besides, UPSRTC also deployed 35 special buses to bring back around 1000 migrant labourers from UP who were stranded in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. “Those who returned from Rajasthan were dropped in Mathura district where we made arrangements to ferry them. And those returning from Uttarakhand were dropped in Bareilly district where we have deployed a fleet of 60 buses,” he added.