With No Clear Signal From Rlys, States Explore Ways To Bring Back Migrants

Quarantine centres, cross-country buses being arranged even as migrants hop on to boats, trucks and ambulances

- Mamuni Das

On-ground mass transport has largely been the responsibility of the Indian Railways (IR). But, with little clarity on when IR will re-start services after the lockdown, States have started arriving at bilateral ‘equations’ to ensure safe passage for people to return to their hometowns — some with success, some without.

Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Himachal Pradesh have started arranging buses to ferry students back from Kota and Delhi. Odisha has spoken to Gujarat to get migrants back from Surat using buses. These are long routes, and in normal days train was the preferred mode of travel.