No homes, and now this heat: No respite for migrant workers in Ludhiana
Most of them are camping in the open outside Guru Nanak Stadium or taking shelter outside VIP homes
Without homes, sitting out in the open, waiting for train or bus tickets to return to their homes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP), migrant workers camping near the Guru Nanak Stadium have been hit hard by soaring temperatures in a city that recorded its hottest day this year at 44 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Many children at the camp appeared tired and listless while infants cried as their parents frantically tried to keep them cool with hand fans fashioned out of cardboard and plastic. Many were dipping pieces of cloth in water and wiping down the bodies of the children.
Several migrants took shelter under trees in the well-maintained gardens outside the homes of bureaucrats, judicial and police officials living in the area.
For the migrants, it’s one blow after another with the Covid-19 outbreak rendering them jobless and the heatwave adding to their misery.
They say they have no place for shelter as they have vacated their rented accommodation and are camping on the roads.
“We can endure the scorching summer but seeing the children cry because of the heat disturbs us,” said Shambhu Nath, a resident of Gorakhpur in UP sitting on the pavement outside Rakh Bagh near Guru Nanak Stadium.
Shiv Ram, also waiting to board a train to UP, said he could not wait to get back home.
Meanwhile, the health department has issued an advisory to people to protect themselves from the severe heat wave. Civil surgeon Rajesh Bagga has asked the department to maintain a record of heat stroke patients being admitted in hospitals.