“We have not earned anything since the lockdown began. It’s good that work has finally begun. We will now earn some money. But I am always scared about my family,” Santosh, a labourer, said.
Santosh works as a construction labourer in Supertech Supernova.
Santosh (28) is busy building the tallest building in north India – Supertech Supernova – in Noida. As he puts his sweat and blood to build the dream home of many, the coronavirus pandemic has turned his life upside down.
Santosh, who is from Saharsa in Bihar, has been working as a construction labourer for the last 10 years. He is married with 3 kids and has dependent parents.
The lockdown had snatched away his livelihood, leaving Santosh without money and food. “We have not earned anything since the lockdown began. It’s good that work has finally begun. We will now earn some money. But I am always scared about my family.” His family wants him to return home as coronavirus cases are surging in Gautam Buddh Nagar. They are scared Santosh might contract the virus.
With many of his friends already back in their villages, Santosh longs to go back but is deterred by an almost 1000-km-long road ahead.
Like Santosh, Rafique has been working as a daily wager in the NCR for the last 4 years. His wife and 2-year-old child, along with his old and ailing parents, live in Bengal’s Malda. As he mixes cement and concrete, his constantly worries about the well being of his family.
“Most of my friends have gone back. I also thought of going but walking for over 1,500 kilometres with no money in hand is an impossible task. I miss my wife and child and I want to be with them as cases of coronavirus are increasing in our village,” he says.
In case someone does contract the virus, separate arrangements have been made to tackle the situation. “We have made an isolation ward at each site and a doctor is available in case of an emergency. We are following all the SOPs,” RK Arora, chairman, Supertech told India Today.
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