Lockdown imposed all over the country in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 has proved to be a bane for construction workers and other labourers from the two districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
As many as 5.5 lakh people from Srikakulam district and 2.5 lakh from Vizianagaram district work in various places, including New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.
Now, their life becomes miserable as lockdown has deprived them of their work. Representatives of construction companies and contractors have allegedly failed to take care of them at this crucial juncture. Their family members in these two districts are a worried lot.
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According to them, many women, including those pregnant, and children are facing untold miseries. Those who tried to come back to their native villages could not do it due to curbs imposed at borders of various States. Only a few people could reach their native places with great difficulty.
A group of workers of Terlam mandal somehow reached up to Kothavalasa of Vizianagaram district. But going to Terlam had become a Herculean task for them as almost all of them exhausted and suffered from multiple health disorders.
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The situation is pathetic in case of women and children. “We were forced to vacate the construction area after imposition of lockdown. As there was no shelter and food in Hyderabad, we were returning to our native places,” said B. Gowri Naidu.
S. Kota MLA Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao, who noticed their pathetic condition, arranged vehicles for them to reach their villages. “After conducting medical tests and getting permission from higher officials, they were taken to Terlam and surrounding areas. They were directed to follow quarantine rules for next two weeks,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.