I LEFT DELHI on May 16 and after three days of walking and hitching rides, reached Ratanpur Kunda village in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on May 18. A group I met on my way had allowed me to accompany them to their village. Brij Kishore and Jagdish, brothers working in Haryana, were returning with their families and friends. I was curious to see what awaited those who returned to their villages after travelling hundreds and thousands of kilometres. We reached their home in Ratanpur Kunda at about 11:30 pm and crashed.
MAY 19: SHAHJAHANPUR
9:00 am: My interactions with the family made me realise that the main source of work in the village at a short notice could only be daily wage jobs under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Rajbir, who lives next door and returned to the village from Delhi in March, told me that a road was being laid on the outskirts of the village and people were being employed to work under MGNREGA. He decided to go and I accompanied him. We reached there to find that the contractor needed just seven-eight people. The village has about 500 families and almost each has a member who returned after the lockdown and would require a job.
12:00 noon: Rajbir and I returned home empty-handed. I inquired about people who were earning from other means. I visited Ram Gopal, 70, who lives nearby and earns ₹200 a day by tilling land. I also chatted with Sarju, one of the relatives to return with Brij Kishore and Jagdish after the lockdown. Sarju had returned from Delhi after getting four fingers of his right hand severed in an industrial accident in December 2019. His employer had paid for his treatment and the fingers had been reattached but the grip was somewhat lacking. The lockdown started as he was trying to begin work again and he had to return.
This story is from the June 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT
West Bengal's Bhanga Mela (scrap fair) has pushed the limits of recycling. Organised every January at Mathurapur village in 24 South Parganas district, shops at the fair sell discarded electronic items, antiques and even non-functional goods that are in repairable condition.
A wild chase
BASED ON A 2015 PROBE THAT BUST A MAJOR IVORY SMUGGLING RACKET IN INDIA, POACHER PROVIDES A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE WORK OF FOREST OFFICIALS
Suspect claims in Teva's suit against Cipla
The US Federal Trade Commission has warned the Israeli drug firm its patents are wrongful as it sues Cipla aggressively
WATER SCARREDCITY
Bengaluru's water crisis was long in the making. The city has grown at the cost of its lakes and ponds that are key to its water security. Over 93 per cent of the city is built-up, which makes groundwater recharge difficult. Inadequate sewage systems pollute the limited water available. Over the decades, the city has become dependent on the Cauvery, 100 km away, for 70 per cent of its water needs. This makes water unaffordable. It's time Bengaluru broadened its water resource base beyond the Cauvery and focused on recharging groundwater and reusing treated wastewater.
On guard
Communities in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh reduce human-elephant conflicts using technology and proactive on-ground monitoring
Overlooked crisis
While there is much talk about climate migration, the world is without a legal framework to protect people displaced by weather disasters
Taking charge for water
A young sarpanch in Maharashtra helps his village residents avail drinking water at home
International Women's Day Special SHE
In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.
MODERATELY YOURS
The crunchy, slightly sweet tubers of shankhalu can be a healthy addition to one's diet
TROUBLED TEAK
Farmers need to be sensitised about right planting materials and cultivation techniques to benefit from high-value teak plantations
