Police distributes meals to daily wage labourers amid lockdown

  • | Saturday | 28th March, 2020

I have no food to cook and no money to buy food," said Gagan, a labourer who lives in the Shahdara district area. It was after two days that he was able to eat a meal, that too provided by policemen at the Krishna Nagar police station. Gagan, who lives in Krishna Nagar was earning Rs 400-600 per day but due to lockdown there was no work left. In Krishna Nagar police station, SHO along with other policemen were involved in ensuring social distancing and cleanliness during the distribution of food. Meanwhile, in South Delhi, around 30 labourers from Muzzafarpur in Bihar were found living on the roadside near Lodhi Garden.

New Delhi: "I havent eaten anything in the last 48 hours. I have not been able to step out of my house since the lockdown began. I have no food to cook and no money to buy food," said Gagan, a labourer who lives in the Shahdara district area. It was after two days that he was able to eat a meal, that too provided by policemen at the Krishna Nagar police station. From early in the day, poor and needy people were standing in a queue outside police stations across Delhi to get food, which was being distributed by police personnel. They all shared the same views as Gagan. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Saroj (22) was earning Rs 400/day from a job at a construction site. His life was going on asusual but after the Coronavirus pandemic, he was forced to lock himself inside the room. "I wanted to go back to Bihar but there was no transport available. Police have told us to stay inside but with no money and no food left, survival was very tough. For the last two-three days, I was hungry but could only drink water. I might have died due to hunger," he said, adding that he was provided with puri-sabzi at the police station. Gagan, who lives in Krishna Nagar was earning Rs 400-600 per day but due to lockdown there was no work left. "Two days I slept with empty stomach and tension," he said. Hitendra was working as a tailor in the Shahdara area. He was living with a family of four in Delhi. "There is no work right now. How will we eat? If someone gives us food then we eat or else we have to sleep with an empty stomach," he said, adding that after one day, he and his family had gotten access to some food. In Krishna Nagar police station, SHO along with other policemen were involved in ensuring social distancing and cleanliness during the distribution of food. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Dinesh Kumar Gupta said that they have launched a mobile number on which they have requested people to alert them about poor and needy people, who will be provided with the food where they stay. According to the daily labourers in different parts of Delhi, they are the sole bread-earners for their families and live several miles away from their loved ones. They dont know when the situation will be normal and when or if they will ever get employed again. Meanwhile, in South Delhi, around 30 labourers from Muzzafarpur in Bihar were found living on the roadside near Lodhi Garden. Their contractor is somewhere in Bihar and could not come to Delhi because of the lockdown, they said, leaving the workers without the means to make ends meet. They were planning to leave on foot for Bihar. Considering their plight, police personnel from South Delhi have also distributed grains and other essential food items among them.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

NYOOOZ FRIEND

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.


Stay updated with all the Delhi Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.

Related Articles