Hundreds of thousands of migrant laborers in India have potentially lost their jobs and livelihoods as construction sites and factories close amid a countrywide lockdown.
There were concerns in recent days that without a reliable job, thousands of these laborers would head back to their hometowns on food — potentially undermining the lockdown.
Now the local governments of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh have arranged buses for migrant laborers to head home despite fears of the coronavirus.
A tweet from the office of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, released Saturday evening, said 1,000 public and private buses had been deployed.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal confirmed on Saturday on his official Twitter account that buses have been arranged but urged people to stay home.
“Please stay in your home. Do not go to your village. Otherwise, the lockdown serves no purpose,” Kejriwal said.
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