24 trains with over 28,000 migrants, students leave for Bihar

Over 15,000 migrants and students returned to state on Wednesday by 13 trains from five states while another 28,500 would be reaching from seven states in 24 trains

Over 15,000 migrants and students returned to state on Wednesday by 13 trains from five states while another 28,500 would be reaching from seven states in 24 trains on Thursday. With the increasing number of stranded natives returning to Bihar, the state has geared up to face the added challenges in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic.

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According to state disaster management department, 24 trains — one each from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Kerala, eight from Gujarat, five each from Maharashtra and Telangana and three from Rajasthan — would be reaching 17 railway stations on Thursday while 13 trains from five states — Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana reached different parts on Wednesday.

“We have entered a challenging phase, with more people returning to their home towns. The real test starts now,” said a senior state government official pleading anonymity.

The government on Tuesday had claimed that migrant workers, who returned to Bihar from other states during the lockdown, accounted for only 65 cases of coronavirus, as the total number of cases rose to 541 across 32 of the 38 districts, with four deaths in the state so far. However, the state government claimed full preparedness.

“The state is fully prepared to look after them. As of now 3,066 camps are ready and 18,066 migrant labourers are living in those camps,” said Pratyaya Amrit, principal secretary, disaster management department.

However, experts do not seem to be happy with the preparedness. “The initial hiccups in bringing the stranded back shows their preparedness. The preparation is only up to a level, especially since the reports about the quarantine centres are coming out. The districts need to scale up their bar to cope up with this situation,” said D M Diwakar of A N Sinha Institute for Social Studies.

A government official admitted that if close to 5-6 lakh people return, putting them in quarantine centres, feeding them everyday would be a Herculean task.

Officials are also worried because many new infections have been reported during the second phase of the lockdown especially of those migrant workers, who managed to reach Bihar and unknowingly took the Covid to new areas as they were largely asymptomatic.

This despite the fact that doubling rate of Covid 19 cases which was 7 days between April 15 and April 22 and came down to four days in the period between April 23 and 26, has now increased to 9 days in the period between April 26 and May 5, as per an information shared by principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar on his Twitter.

STRAP CONUNDRUM: State claims it is prepared to take care of the returnees; experts feel otherwise