CUDDALORE: "Moved to the big city when I was just 17,” says 47-year-old Durai (name changed), who now works as a daily wage labourer at the Koyambedu market. A native of Virudhachalam, Durai, alike a thousand others, moved to the ‘big city’ Chennai in search of a livelihood. Durai is among several hundreds of people across districts to have contracted COVID-19 from the market in Chennai. From the hospital bed in Cuddalore, he recounts why he had to move out of his hometown.
“I did not have any land to farm,” says Durai. “When I first came to Chennai 30 years back, I was working at the Parry’s flower market. It was just a month back that I moved to Koyambedu.” Now with the virus outbreak, Durai is worried about continuing his job in the market.
So far, 197 persons with a link to Koyambedu market have tested positive in Cuddalore. The numbers also tell a different story: one of how and why people, mostly of a certain class and caste group, move to bigger cities.
Nearly 1,195 workers and traders from Cuddalore visited Koyambedu in the recent times. Of them, nearly 75 per cent of the workers are Dalits, say an official source. Most of them moved because of poverty, unemployment, and landlessness. “Within the district, you can actually see the migration pattern,” says the official.
“Migration is higher from Virudhachalam, Tittakudi, Veppur, and Panrut -- all dry and rain-fed areas. Unemployment is high here, sources of income low. Additionally, most workers do not own lands. For most of them, being a market labourer is more remunerative than being a farmhand in the village,” he adds. Raghu (name changed) moved to Chennai after his father died. He works as a loadman in the market. “There was no income once he died. To feed my family, I had to go to Chennai.” Raghu currently is in an isolation ward.
Veggies to get costlier?
With the Koyambedu Market closing down due to the outbreak, there is likely to be a shortage in vegetable supply in Chennai. Though the market has been shut, the alternative facility at Tirumazhisai is yet to be opened. Carrot, beetroot, onions, and potatoes may be in short supply, said S Chandran, head of a merchants association at the market. The shortfall could result in a spike in prices.
Officials, however, said the same vegetables would be available in Tambaram and Pallavaram, and hence the city will not be affected. The prices have already started to spike in certain areas. Beans was sold at Rs 200 a kilogram at Luz Corner in Mylapore, while it cost just Rs 140 about 2 km away. “Men carrying loads charge Rs 100 per sack, double their usual wage. Also, it’s difficult to get trucks these days,” says G Kanagavel, who distributes vegetables to vendors in Alwarpet.
Cluster continues to wreck havoc
The Koyambedu cluster continued to haunt districts. Tally increased in Villupuram and Kallakurichi on Tuesday, as 63 new cases tested positive. Most of them had a market connection. In Villupuram, twenty five new cases including four women were found positive on Tuesday. All are connected to Koyambedu. In Kallakurichi, 38 cases tested positive on Tuesday, the highest single-day tally till date. Among them 32 had direct or indirect connection with Koyambedu market.
202 from Chennai +ve in Mayavaram
Mayiladuthurai Government Medical Hospital on Tuesday was overflowing with patients who arrived from Chennai. So far, 202 people have been admitted to the GH and a nearby quarantine facility. “At least 70 people among those admitted had been to Koyambedu. The remaining include those who are from other parts of Chennai who may have contact history,” said Dr R Mahendran, a senior medical official in Mayiladuthurai
4 cases were recorded in Nilgiris district on Tuesday. Dharmapuri and Tiruchy also reported 1 case each linked to the cluster
Cuddalore records 197 linked cases
Cuddalore district on Tuesday recorded 68 cases, all belonging to Koyambedu cluster. So far the district had recorded 197 Corona positive cases from Koyambedu cluster, and the total district toll on Tuesday spiked to 229. As per official data, district recorded 107 positive cases on Monday, and 68 cases on Tuesday; all the number were attributed to Koyambedu cluster. Of the total 229 cases, as many as 26 patients have been discharged after recovery