Fearing lockdowns, migrant workers flee big cities across India

With India reporting a record-breaking surge in coronavirus cases, the country is witnessing yet another nationwide migrant exodus, as states begin imposing curfews and lockdowns to contain the spread of the deadly infection.

Following the six-day lockdown announcement by the Delhi government, fear of job loss and uncertainty about livelihood drove migrant workers in the state to get back to their hometowns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Even though the lockdown order allowed industries and factories to function in order to prevent migration of labor, painful memories of the 2020 lockdown was enough for the migrant workers to start heading home.

Due to the lockdown, several industries and businesses, including the hospitality, catering and hotels were facing a severe crisis.

India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new infections on Thursday and more than 2,000 deaths in the last 24 hours.