CHENNAI: Uncertainity still looms over Tamil Nadu as about 2000 stranded migrant workers have been crammed in Chennai's community halls after the train services have been canceled. The city corporation has been moving these workers, mostly from West Bengal, from the railway stations to the halls.
"We were traveling to West Bengal from Kerala and had to change train at Chennai. Since, the train has been cancelled, we are stranded here. We initially thought the government would arrange a vehicle for us to go home, but now it seems we have to stay here for more days," said 20-year-old Mohammed Sadiq who hails from Howrah.
The workers say they are scared because they do not know the local language and are unable to keep themselves updated with the news. "More than 2,000 people are staying here. We do not know when the services will resume, but all of us are so tightly crammed that if anyone is infected among us, all of us will get infected in no time. But, no one is coughing yet. Our parents back in our villages are also scared," said another migrant worker Salim, stranded at Chintadripet.
However, good food is being provided on time by the city corporation, they say. All the workers are being given food packets thrice a day and women and children are prioritised. The only issue the workers said they are facing is lack of adequate washrooms.