THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the past few weeks, 31-year-old Sarfaraz Ansari’s wife has been reiterating over the phone to stay safe and take care of himself. In turn, he assures her that sanitisers have become his close companion. About 2,500 kilometres away from his home in Giridih district of Jharkhand, Sarfaraz has been fighting two battles -- one for life and another for livelihood. As per statistics, there are around 25 lakh migrant labourers in the state. While several are fleeing the state owing to the Covid-19 scare, many are trying to uplift their spirit and remain in the city to provide a living for their families residing miles away.
Ansari’s wife is disturbed by the news reports on the rising number of cases in the district. But, for Sarfaraz, moving away from Thiruvananthapuram is unthinkable as he has three mouths to feed at home.
Moreover, even if he returns to Giridih and acquires a job, the pay would be a quarter of his current salary.
His colleagues and he receive food thrice a day from the restaurant they work at. “If the government decides to close eateries and provision stores, I have no choice but return home,” he says.
For Manzoor, Kerala is the promised land and working here means ensuring a good education for his four children in Jharkhand. Though his family is concerned, he doesn’t think it is advisable to leave the state. “I may get a good job if I return to Jharkhand. However, a smooth life isn’t guaranteed,” he says.
Affected sectors
Several sectors including construction have been affected due to fleeing migrant labourers. Member of the National Governing Council of CREDAI S N Reghuchandran Nair said the state is extremely dependent on migrant labourers. “If there is a mass exodus of migrant labourers, the state, especially the construction industry, will be the most affected. Around 15 to 16 lakh migrant labourers are working in the construction sector. Now, we have stepped up hygiene at construction sites.
If any of them gets affected by the virus, the situation will worsen as they live in camps,” he said. Meanwhile, many major development projects have suffered a blow due to the unavailability of sufficient labourers. “Several projects that have already been issued work orders such as the construction of bus stops and installation of water kiosks have been hit owing to the shortage of labourers,” said an official with the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL).