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    Photos: A long road to cover for India’s migrant workers

    The sudden suspension of public transport facilities and employment, due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the coronavirus (Covid-19) announced by Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday evening that came into effect at midnight Wednesday, left migrant workers stranded away from home with meagre savings. With over a billion people already inside their homes, these workers have been out on the roads making their way on food in times of uncertainty. HT photographers were on ground to capture some heartbreaking, historic scenes.

    Updated on: Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM IST
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    1/22
    A migrant father-daughter duo make their way back to their village on foot, on Delhi’s NH24 on Friday. The 21-day lockdown left the migrants with little option but to make the jourbey by walking back from big cities to their homes far away. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A migrant father-daughter duo make their way back to their village on foot, on Delhi’s NH24 on Friday. The 21-day lockdown left the migrants with little option but to make the jourbey by walking back from big cities to their homes far away. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

    2/22
    Mamta, 32, carries her 5-year-old son Yuvraj on their shoulder as they make their way to Aligarh from Ghazipur, in New Delhi. Tens of thousands of migrant workers are making the long journeys home after the nationwide lockdown came into effect. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Mamta, 32, carries her 5-year-old son Yuvraj on their shoulder as they make their way to Aligarh from Ghazipur, in New Delhi. Tens of thousands of migrant workers are making the long journeys home after the nationwide lockdown came into effect. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

    3/22
    A stream of people makes the long walk home, from New Delhi. The government is working to help migrant workers and their families get to their destination or, at the least, to also ensure they get food and shelter. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A stream of people makes the long walk home, from New Delhi. The government is working to help migrant workers and their families get to their destination or, at the least, to also ensure they get food and shelter. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

    4/22
    The ministry of home affairs has already issued an advisory to all states to make arrangements for the stranded workers: “States/UTs need to explore measures by involving various agencies, including NGOs, to provide food and shelter with basic amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation,” the advisory said. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    The ministry of home affairs has already issued an advisory to all states to make arrangements for the stranded workers: “States/UTs need to explore measures by involving various agencies, including NGOs, to provide food and shelter with basic amenities like clean drinking water, sanitation,” the advisory said. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

    5/22
    Families with children headed home at the Delhi-Gurugram expressway, near Sector 16, Signature Tower Chowk, in Gurugram. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, a member of Parliament from Bihar to which many of the migrants are headed, said that discussions are on at the highest level of government to help these women and men. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Families with children headed home at the Delhi-Gurugram expressway, near Sector 16, Signature Tower Chowk, in Gurugram. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, a member of Parliament from Bihar to which many of the migrants are headed, said that discussions are on at the highest level of government to help these women and men. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo)

    6/22
    Ram Avatar, a migrant worker is seated on a push cart with his family as they make their way home to Sambhal district in Uttar Pardesh from the national capital, at NH24, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Ram Avatar, a migrant worker is seated on a push cart with his family as they make their way home to Sambhal district in Uttar Pardesh from the national capital, at NH24, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

    7/22
    A migrant worker pauses for break on a bridge at Ghazipur, in New Delhi. India’s social and religious organisations have started distributing food to the migrants, daily wagers, and the poor, even as the state governments have opened up community kitchens and shelter homes to serve them. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A migrant worker pauses for break on a bridge at Ghazipur, in New Delhi. India’s social and religious organisations have started distributing food to the migrants, daily wagers, and the poor, even as the state governments have opened up community kitchens and shelter homes to serve them. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

    8/22
    A trio of migrant workers jump a road divider on the Delhi-Meerut highway while journeying onwards in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A trio of migrant workers jump a road divider on the Delhi-Meerut highway while journeying onwards in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

    9/22
    A group of migrant workers who were working in Delhi walk back to their villages in Uttar Pradesh, at Kashmiri Gate. Kerala was among the first states to announce community kitchens and several organisations including the police are engaged in distributing food. In Punjab, gurdwaras have taken a lead in providing food and Punjab police are engaged in distributing food packets. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A group of migrant workers who were working in Delhi walk back to their villages in Uttar Pradesh, at Kashmiri Gate. Kerala was among the first states to announce community kitchens and several organisations including the police are engaged in distributing food. In Punjab, gurdwaras have taken a lead in providing food and Punjab police are engaged in distributing food packets. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

    10/22
    Delhi Police personnel offer hand sanitizer and food packets to a migrant worker near the Akshardham Temple foot over bridge in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Delhi Police personnel offer hand sanitizer and food packets to a migrant worker near the Akshardham Temple foot over bridge in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

    11/22
    Migrant workers walk back from Delhi’s Nizamuddin bridge to their villages and towns outside Delhi. The Bihar government on Thursday sanctioned ₹100 crore from the CM Relief Fund to provide food and shelter for daily wage earners, including those from outside the state, who have been stranded in the state capital and other Bihar cities in the wake of countrywide lock-down. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Migrant workers walk back from Delhi’s Nizamuddin bridge to their villages and towns outside Delhi. The Bihar government on Thursday sanctioned ₹100 crore from the CM Relief Fund to provide food and shelter for daily wage earners, including those from outside the state, who have been stranded in the state capital and other Bihar cities in the wake of countrywide lock-down. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

    12/22
    In Kolkata, community kitchens are providing food to street dwellers and poor people living in the 27-night shelters run by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The Chhattisgarh government is providing food packets to the homeless and poor people in the state in all 28 districts with the help of police. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    In Kolkata, community kitchens are providing food to street dwellers and poor people living in the 27-night shelters run by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The Chhattisgarh government is providing food packets to the homeless and poor people in the state in all 28 districts with the help of police. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

    13/22
    Migrant workers, many with their belongings bundled over their heads, at Ashram in the national capital. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Migrant workers, many with their belongings bundled over their heads, at Ashram in the national capital. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

    14/22
    A temporary halt before pushing on, at NH 24 in New Delhi. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said he had spoken to Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and several district magistrates in Bihar to make special arrangements for the migrant workers. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A temporary halt before pushing on, at NH 24 in New Delhi. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said he had spoken to Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and several district magistrates in Bihar to make special arrangements for the migrant workers. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

    15/22
    A group headed for Jabalpur on foot, from Jaipur. A large section of the migrants are from UP and Bihar, and have been walking from the national capital or metro cities in other states to their villages aiming to cover hundreds of kilometres in the wake of the 21-day lockdown. (Himanshu Vyas / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A group headed for Jabalpur on foot, from Jaipur. A large section of the migrants are from UP and Bihar, and have been walking from the national capital or metro cities in other states to their villages aiming to cover hundreds of kilometres in the wake of the 21-day lockdown. (Himanshu Vyas / HT Photo)

    16/22
    The iron bridge in East Delhi, full of migrants on foot, on March 27. An official in the labour ministry said on condition of anonymity that some changes in some of the lockdown restrictions to help migrant workers are expected in the next couple of days. (Sonu Mehta / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    The iron bridge in East Delhi, full of migrants on foot, on March 27. An official in the labour ministry said on condition of anonymity that some changes in some of the lockdown restrictions to help migrant workers are expected in the next couple of days. (Sonu Mehta / HT Photo)

    17/22
    A family headed to their home town, near Sector 15 flyover in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A family headed to their home town, near Sector 15 flyover in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar / HT Photo)

    18/22
    Migrant workers head home on the third day of the 21-day national lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of the coronavirus, at Badli village, in Jhajjar, Haryana. (Manoj Dhaka / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Migrant workers head home on the third day of the 21-day national lockdown imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb the spread of the coronavirus, at Badli village, in Jhajjar, Haryana. (Manoj Dhaka / HT Photo)

    19/22
    NH 24 in New Delhi saw hundreds of migrant workers making their way to their towns and villages on foot. State governments didn’t wait for the MHA advisory before responding to the hordes that were seen on highways, attempting the long walk home amidst shut shops and often hostile police authorities-- some issuing directions to local District Magistrates to provide transportation for migrants seen walking on the roads. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    NH 24 in New Delhi saw hundreds of migrant workers making their way to their towns and villages on foot. State governments didn’t wait for the MHA advisory before responding to the hordes that were seen on highways, attempting the long walk home amidst shut shops and often hostile police authorities-- some issuing directions to local District Magistrates to provide transportation for migrants seen walking on the roads. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

    20/22
    As migrants were seen in hundreds and thousands on India’s national highways on Thursday, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced that his government will coordinate with other states and bear the expenses of migrant workers, who might have been stranded. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    As migrants were seen in hundreds and thousands on India’s national highways on Thursday, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced that his government will coordinate with other states and bear the expenses of migrant workers, who might have been stranded. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

    21/22
    A top shot of migrant workers headed home, at NH 24, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    A top shot of migrant workers headed home, at NH 24, in New Delhi. (Raj K Raj / HT Photo)

    22/22
    Near the Red Fort in Delhi, migrants walked through the day, well into the night trying to get back to their villages on foot. (Amal KS / HT Photo) expand-iconView Photos in a new improved layout
    Updated on Mar 29, 2020 9:08 AM

    Near the Red Fort in Delhi, migrants walked through the day, well into the night trying to get back to their villages on foot. (Amal KS / HT Photo)

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