Nationwide lockdown has posed biggest challenge not only for the labourers who are coming back home but also for state government.
Madhya Pradesh shares its boundaries with five states and has 31 districts located along neighbouring states. They face challenge of reverse migration of labourers in large numbers.
More than 30,000 labourers have entered Jhabua district from Gujarat in last five days. Jhabua collector Prabal Sipaha said the district administration had conducted thermal screening of about 22,000 people along Jhabua-Gujarat border in past four days.
“Thermal screening of people coming from Jhabua is being done at Pitol. Then they are allowed in,” said Sipaha.
The hidden challenge remains, as there are about 15 entry points besides Pitol to enter Jhabua district. Citizens have now asked the administration to post police at all points as done during elections.
Similarly, large numbers of people migrate from Bundelkhand region looking for employment. Most people from Bundelkhand prefer to work in Delhi, Agra and adjoining places - are now coming back. According to an estimate more, than 50 lakh people from Bundelkhand region migrated in last one decade. Collectors of Sagar, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur and other districts of the region are keeping vigil.
Singrauli district sharing border with Uttar Pradesh has also made arrangements for thermal screening and food for thousands of people coming back from different places. “Appropriate arrangements for food have been made for families of people at the district border,” Singrauli collector KVS Chowdharysaid.
Similar challenges are faced by district administration of Shivpuri, Bhind and Morena districts that share border with Uttar Pradesh and large numbers of people coming back from nearby Jhansi, Agra and Delhi.
Though chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given clear instructions on taking care of people coming back to Madhya Pradesh but the reports coming from ground do not verify the government’s claims.
