‘Abide by HC direction on migrant crisis’

Medchal collective seeks State govt’s intervention to ensure their safe travel

On behalf of the COVID Advocacy Lockdown Collective, women activists from the city have addressed a letter to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, urging him to implement the directions by High Court of Telangana with regard to the migrant workers’ crisis.

The High Court had directed the government to identify the number of migrants arriving at Medchal, collect them, and host them in the marriage halls close by, before putting them on the trains and buses, with necessary care. Despite the best efforts by the local administration in Medchal, the crisis on the highway continues, requiring urgent attention of the authorities, the letter mentioned.

Humanitarian work

The collective played crucial role in the massive humanitarian work at Medchal junction, which included continuous provision of food and drinking water, medical assistance, and transport of the workers to their destinations by buses .

The camp they set up at Medchal ran for 17 days starting from May 10, assisted by various government agencies including Police, Municipality, Medchal district administration, and Women and Child Development department, let alone scores of philanthropists who kept the flow of relief coming continuously. Individuals formed collectives through social media, raised funds through contacts, and made arrangements to send hundreds of migrants to their destinations. More than 10,000 labourers were sent to their respective States from this point, through various modes of transport. Rough estimates suggest that the food camp served at least 2 lakh migrant labourers on their way.

As the camp had to be shut down on May 26, the government should take over the responsibility, keeping in view the constant pouring of migrants at the junction, the letter mentioned. Hundreds of workers have been gathering to reach Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar, waiting for transport to reach their home States. On Tuesday, there were 800 labourers, and after being provided transport by concerned citizens, their number has come down to 200. Yet, by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, there were 500 migrants at the point, the letter mentioned.

Increasing staff

There is also a need to increase the staff at the local police station, in order to enable them to make necessary arrangements, the letter said, and added that the police who registered hundreds of migrants for the train journeys on May 23, had not responded to repeated pleas on Tuesday. Migrants to Telangana too are arriving at Medchal from northern States through truck transport, and protocols of both health and travel need to be put in place to receive such groups. The letter was signed by A. Suneetha, Sarath Davala, C.Vanaja, Sujatha Surepally and K. Sajaya among others.