Image Source: The Financial Express
Bengaluru: With the Centre permitting stranded migrant workers to return to their native places due to further extension of the lockdown, the South Western Railways (SWR) zone is bracing to ferry hundreds of them in special trains from Karnataka to their native place, an official said on Saturday.
“We are waiting for the state government to inform us in writing with details of the migrant workers to be sent to their native place in how many states so that we can schedule the special trains and arrange food and drinking water for their long journey,” Bengaluru railway divisional manager Ashok Kumar Varma told IANS here.
Soon after the Union Home Ministry on Friday permitted the Indian Railways to operate ‘shramik’ (labour) special trains to transport thousands of migrant workers to their native place, its zones lined up 16 sleeper class and eight general class coaches from cities in each state to other states across the country.
“The state government has to inform us 12 hours before the departure to arrange each special train at our main stations, depute staff and take precautions to ensure their health in transporting the migrant labour to their destinations,” said Varma.
An estimated 2-lakh migrant workers have been stranded in cities across the southern state (Karnataka) since the first phase of the 21-day lockdown was enforced and trains and buses were suspended on March 25. About 80,000 of them are sheltered in relief camps across this tech city since over a month.
Extension of the lockdown by another 19 days since April 15 to May 3 and further to May 17 from May 4 has only compounded the problem of the migrant labour staying back in relief camps without work and wages.
“The state government has to ensure the migrant passengers are healthy and free from coronavirus, wear mask and each has identity card. As tickets will not be sold or issued through our counters at the station, they have to deposit its fare with the state government from whom we will collect it with details,” another official said.
The zonal railway is ready to operate 6-10 special trains to all major cities and towns enroute across the country, as two-thirds of the migrant workers are from western and northern states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkand, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam.
“As per the guidelines, only 56 passengers will be allowed to travel in each coach of 72-berth sleeper coach to ensure social distancing is maintained through the journey. Similarly, only half the general coach capacity will be occupied to keep physical distance between the passengers,” the official added.
The zonal railways is also ready to run special trains from Mysuru, Hubli and Mangaluru depending on demand in consultation with the state government.
“Depending on the need or demand, the special trains can pick up other migrant workers en-route in the state and on way to their destinations in the state.
As these are direct special trains to ferry the stranded migrant workers from the southern state, they will not halt at in-between stations enroute except for technical halts or picking meals.
“The special trains will reach destinations like Lucknow, Allahabad and Patna in 40-48 hours from Bengaluru, as there no traffic en-route due to suspension of express and passenger trains across the country due to lockdown,” the official added.
