'Got tired of waiting for Shramik Special'

There are around 70 travellers on every truck. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

After migrants walking in the scorching heat, the highway is now populated by hundreds of trucks, tempos and autorickshaws packed with people without travel passes or medical certificates. While police say that all rules for interstate travel remain, personnel on the ground have stopped checking for relevant documents and are letting trucks pass unhindered.

mid-day visited the Mumbai-Nashik-Agra highway on Wednesday and saw people travelling on top of lorries. From Navi Mumbai to Kasara Ghat, there were few police barricades. Migrants from Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Thane and Navi Mumbai were going to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

Jitendra Thakur was travelling to Jharkhand with his family

A truck carrying migrants had stopped for a break just before entering Kasara Ghat. "Some of us are going to Jharkhand and some to Bihar. We paid R4,000 per person. There are 70 daily-wage workers. Some are with families. Most of us had applied to travel in the Shramik Special trains, but it's been 10 days and there was no response," said Irshad Ansari. Another traveller, Dharmendra Kumar, said, "Pura pack hai andar, garmi hota hai. Lekin jahan they, wahan aur zyada takleef thi. I had been taking one food packet a day for two weeks in Bhiwandi."

The truck's driver refused to speak to mid-day or give his identity. "Humko seth ne bola yahan chhodna hai, hum kaam kar rahe hain. I don't know how theese people have paid. Seth ka number band hai, main aapki baat nahin kara sakta."

Migrants are also worried about their children's studies

Scary to travel with kids
Ahead of Kasara Ghat, locals were distributing food to the travellers. Jitendra Thakur, who was working as a manager at a Mankhurd restaurant and bar was travelling to Jharkhand in a mini truck with his two daughters, wife, and a few relatives. "I got no response from Mankhurd police about Shramik Special. A place for each person cost us R4,500. It is suffocating and scary to travel in a truck with two daughters."

Another group of 60 in a mini truck bound for West Bengal said there were no trains going to their home state. They coughed up R5,000 for the trip.

Autorickshaw drivers without interstate travel permits were taking their families home. Four such families were travelling to Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and met on the road. When one of the rickshaws broke down, everyone stopped to help repair it. "We were staying in Andheri. Even unions did not help us. Sarkar ne bahut anyyaay kiya hum auto waalon ke saath. We were paying R4,500 EMI for the auto. Now banks are calling. Khaane ko paisa nahin, EMI kahan se bharein? Apne ghar zinda rahe to fir aayenge," said Pawan Kumar.

"We registered with the MP government for travel. We were also told R2,000 will be sent to our accounts. Nothing happened. Our children are studying in Mumbai schools. Don't know how their education will continue. We did not take any travel permissions. So far nobody has stopped us. Humko pehele he jaane diya hota toh yeh problem aati he nahin," said Gulab Mishra, an auto driver from Marol.

Details of the vehicle being used by mid-day were taken by police only after crossing Kasara Ghat. While trucks were allowed to go, details of four-wheelers were being taken. An officer on the spot did not answer when mid-day asked if there are any instructions on allowing migrants to pass. The state government's rules mandate passes for interstate travel.

"As of now, only private vehicles and buses are allowed to travel with valid permissions. Travelling in trucks and tempos is not allowed. We are taking action against those violating the rules.

A number of vehicles ferrying people without permission are being seized," said Pranaya Ashok, deputy commissioner of police and Mumbai police spokesperson. Maharashtra police chief Subodh Jaiswal did not respond to mid-day's queries.

Good Samaritans on the way
While not a single government official was seen on ground, Good Samaritans were distributing food packets. Ashraf Husain, a contractor from Igatpuri, arranged tanker of drinking water at Kasara Ghat.

"Every day, we arrange around 4,000 litres of drinkin water. We have been roaming all over the ghat in a tempo to provide food and water. Now the number of travellers has reduced as most are gone. Initially, at least 20,000 people were passing every day. Now there are around 5,000," Husain said.

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