WATCH | UP migrant workers given ‘chemical bath’ in 'disinfection' exercise

One of the migrants said that after the spray, the children complained of itching in eyes and some women developed rashes.

Officials in Bareilly, who claimed to have come from sanitisation team, were seen spraying chemicals. (Photo| Twitter screengrab)

LUCKNOW: A video has surfaced on social media showing a group of migrant workers being given a ‘chemical bath’ on the road by the Bareilly municipal corporation personnel. The civic body officials can be seen spraying some disinfectant chemicals on the migrants.

The batch of migrants had de-boarded a bus which ferried them from Delhi over the weekend. The entire batch of migrants was made to squat on the road at the bus station and a mass disinfection exercise was carried out by the personnel under protective kit.

The personnel undertaking the exercise can be heard asking the migrants and their family members to close their mouth and eyes before being sprayed the disinfectant.

As per the sources, the disinfectant allegedly used in the spray was a solution of sodium hypochloride and water. However, facing criticism for the exercise, the district authorities went on the back foot saying that the disinfectant was not a chemical but a plain solution of chlorine in water.

This is beyond disgusting.
Inhuman.
Migrants labourers were made to sit & were sprayed with disinfectant in UP's Bareilly district India.
Would they do this on passengers who came from abroad ??
Aren't we morally Dead pic.twitter.com/BvtIWcF9Vn

— Mohammed Habeeb Ur Rehman (@Habeebinamdar) March 30, 2020

However, Bareilly district magistrate Nitish Kumar, when confronted, assured to look into allegations that migrant workers were sprayed with a disinfectant. “We have already taken the cognizance of the video doing rounds on social media. All those who were allegedly given the chemical bath are being treated under the supervision of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Bareilly,” said the DM.

He explained that the Bareilly Municiapl Corporation and Fire Brigade department were mandated to sanitize the bus carrying the migrants. “But in order to take a proactive approach, they took this step. Action has been initiated against those who were involved in the exercise,” said the Bareilly DM.

After the ‘chemical bath’, many of the migrants complained of itiching and irritation in the eyes. According to Dr Sunil Verma, a general physician in Lucknow, it was a reaction caused by the solution containing chlorine. However, he claimed that hypochroride solution is used as a disinfectant for surfaces
and not human beings.

As per an estimate, over 25,000 migrant workers from Bareilly have arrived in the district.