Desperate situations call for desperate measures and the lockdown is one such situation, pushing people to the extremes and many have delved into their deepest reserves to accomplish superhuman feats, such as the labourer in Panvel, Navi Mumbai. He trudged 900 kilometres across the state for over 14 days, to reach home, which was in Chandrapur. For the most part, all he had to hold body and soul together on this arduous journey were biscuits.
Ajay Satorkar, 32, was working as a labourer in Panvel. After the lockdown was announced he and others like him were forced to camp in a crowded room. One by one, his roommates left for their villages and he was the only one in the room. On April 1, he realised, he had a paltry Rs 300, with which he had to survive in Panvel until the end of the lockdown. Not having any contact or access to any government machinery or non-governmental organisation, he decided to foot it back home to distant Chandrapur, 900 kilometres by road, the last corner of the state adjoining neighbouring Telangana.
“I set off early on April 2, with Rs 300 in my pocket and reached Pune at 11pm the same day. I slept near Pune Railway station. I reached Aurangabad on April 5. I kept walking through villages, avoiding police and on April 15, I reached Wani tehsil in Yavatmal district, close to Chandrapur city,” Satorkar told the media.
Throughout his journey, he bathed in rivers and many times, had only biscuits to eat, as he did not get any food for at least 400 kilometres of his journey.
On April 16, he entered Chandrapur district by crossing the Wardha river and entered the town of Ghughus. He then called a friend and informed him about his journey, requesting him to come and get him. The friend immediately informed police, who then rushed to the spot and detained him. They saluted him for his superhuman trek before moving him to a quarantine centre at Chandrapur city.
