'No work, no money': Thousands of stranded migrant workers walk back home as India under 21-day coronavirus lockdown

Scores of daily wagers were stranded after the sudden nationwide lockdown announcement. Many of them have been sent on leave by their contractors without any pay. (Photo | Anil Shakya, EPS)

Migrant workers crowd at Kaushambi bus station at Delhi-Ghaziabad border hoping to catch a bus to their village. (Photo | Anil Shakya, EPS)

As trains and buses have not been plying across states, these labourers have no choice but to walk back home to their villages, in groups, defeating the very purpose of 'social distancing.' (Photo | Udayshankar S, EPS)

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government is serving lunch and dinner to over four lakh people at more than 800 locations in the city. (Photo | Anil Shakya, EPS)

Not worrying about the risk of catching coronavirus, these labourers opted to go back home than starve without work and money. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)

A migrant worker from Madhya Pradesh, who had left for home from Delhi on foot, died after experiencing chest pain in Agra on March 29. (Photo | Shriram BN, EPS)

With every restaurant shut down, jobless workers are cooking and eating with whatever resources are availabe to them. (Photo | TP Sooraj, EPS)

To minimise the effect of lockdown, the Central government announced a Rs 170,000 crore relief package to protect the weaker sections of society from the economic fallout of corornavirus outbreak. (Photo | Parveen Negi, EPS)