UP: Emotions run high as trains bring over 2,000 migrants home

LUCKNOW/KANPUR: As Jitendra Yadav deboarded Shramik Special train at Charbagh railway station along with about 850 migrant labourers and their children working in Nashik, he bowed down with teary eyes to kiss the ground. But officers immediately stopped him and reminded him to follow Covid precautions.
Completing the journey of around 1,200km, the train reached Charbagh railway station early Sunday morning.Eight medical teams thermalscanned each passenger before allowing them to proceed for boarding 31buses arranged by the UPSRTC for their native places. District and police officials were also present and videographed entire exercise.
Shramik Special reaches Lucknow station after 1,200km journey
1,200 migrant workers arrive in Kanpur from Ahmedabad in a special train
I walked 170km from Mumbai to Nashik along with several other workers. We were heading towards UP when police caught us near Nashik border on Friday evening. We were hungry for two days. Police gave us food. Later, we were informed about the train. Officers helped us in boarding it,” said Jitendra Yadav, a taxi driver in Mumbai.
Similar emotional scenes were witnessed at Kanpur Central Railway Station as a special train from Ahmedabad with around 1,200 migrant workers arrived on Sunday. All the migrants were natives of Kanpur and nearby districts including Unnao, Kanpur Dehat, Fatehpur, Kannauj, Jalaun and Jhansi. After undergoing thermal screening, the migrants boarded 40 special buses of state transport department which ferried them to their native districts. These migrants were stranded in Ahmedabad due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown.
The Lucknow passengers, including eight children between two and five years, were first screened at Nashik Road and when found fit to travel, they were allowed to board the train. All passengers were offered food and accommodated in coaches, properly following social distancing norms.
Manish Kumar, a native of Kannauj, said, “When at the railway station I saw a team of doctors and another team with food packets, I could not control my emotions. I want to thank chief minister Yogi Adityanath as because of him we would meet our families once again.” One of the workers who took his place in the bus designated for Sultanpur route, said "I went to Nashik in February in search of livelihood and got a job in hotel, but when lockdown was imposed, we were left with no work and money.”
Thirty-one buses, that were stationed in front of the Charbagh railway station building, were going to Siddharthnagar, Shravasti, Kannauj and Bahraich. Raj Shekhar, managing director of UPSRTC, said that all the buses were properly sanitized and drivers were trained for following precautions needed to avoid Covid-19.”