Stranded migrant workers pedal 380 km for three days from Uttarakhand to Moradabad

Bareilly: Desperate to reach home, a group of migrant workers - with no food and money - peddled around 380 km for three days from Uttarakhand to Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh.

With nationwide Covid-19 lockdown still in effect, the daily wagers were stranded in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand and were left without any work.

Narrating their ordeal, the migrants, who were working at construction sites in the neighbouring state, said they left Uttarkashi for their respective home towns on bicycles and reached Moradabad on Sunday morning, where they were intercepted by the police.

Nine such workers, identified as Ashok, Raman, Rajesh, Rajan Sahani, among others, were sent to a shelter home located in the area by the Moradabad police who found them cycling at 6am on the highway near zero point in Mundha Pandey.

Besides the usual hardships during the journey, they were also often stopped by police, claiming that some cops at a checkpost near Bijnor district misbehaved with them. “We somehow managed to survive at our workplace. Then left with nothing at all we decided to leave for home on bicycles. We had to pedal for around 380 km and it took us three days to reach Moradabad. We are now totally exhausted and request the authorities to assist us in reaching our homes,” Rajesh, one of the migrants, said.

Moradabad's SP city Amit Anand told TOI, “A number of migrants were arriving at our district border on a daily basis. We are providing them assistance, especially those on foot or on bicycles. The migrants are being sent to shelter homes in the nearby areas where they are undergoing screening, and given food. We will ensure that they reach their destinations. For the purpose, UPSRTC buses have also been arranged.”



Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays, public holidays, and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.