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    Thousands leave Bengaluru ahead of lockdown, heightening risk of Covid surge in villages

    Synopsis

    The chief minister had, last week, appealed to people not to leave Bengaluru as rural areas of the State are safe with fewer cases, and any influx from Bengaluru into those villages will only spread the Covid-19 infection. But that is exactly what happened when the government, all of a sudden, announced a weeklong lockdown on Saturday.

    bengaluru lockdown rush BCCL

    People boarded whatever transport was available on Tumakuru, and Mysuru roads, many of them vowing not to return till the situation improves in Karnataka’s capital

    BENGALURU: Tens of thousands of people left Bengaluru for their villages on Monday ignoring chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s recent requests as they saw no job or livelihood opportunities in India’s technology capital, which has been battling a rapid spread of Covid-19 infection.

    People boarded whatever transport was available on Tumakuru, and Mysuru roads, many of them vowing not to return till the situation improves in Karnataka’s capital. Many families vacated their rented houses, and shifted to their hometowns and villages giving up hopes of their incomes picking up in the city anytime soon.

    Bhat, a cook by profession, vacated his house in Bagalgunte in northwest Bengaluru in the early morning and left with his family for his village in Dakshina Kannada without even waiting for his landlord to return his rental advance. He told his landlord that he has been without a job for more than three months now, and cannot survive in the city any longer. He left the city with a request to his owner to transfer the money to his account within a month.

    The government had suspended access control at toll plazas to allow quick passage of vehicles in view of unprecedented rush. Crew of the state road corporation buses were seen checking the temperature of passengers on the Tumakuru road. People threw social distancing norms to winds as they jostled each other to get into whatever transport that came first. Private cars too made some quick buck as scores of people readily paid twice the bus fare for a ride to towns close to their villages. Several people took to their two-wheelers on long ride to their villages.

    The chief minister had, last week, appealed to people not to leave Bengaluru as rural areas of the State are safe with fewer cases, and any influx from Bengaluru into those villages will only spread the Covid-19 infection. But that is exactly what happened when the government, all of a sudden, announced a weeklong lockdown on Saturday, giving people a lead time of two days probably to help them plan their journey.

    Sections of them also bought into the speculations that the government might extend the lockdown for another one week from July 22 if the number of new Covid-19 cases don’t fall by then. The city has been reporting upwards of 1000 cases a day for the last few days.

    Akhilesh, a Bengalurean who watched recent trends of migration closely said, three types of people have left Bengaluru. (a) People who can do their jobs remotely from their villages or hometowns, using computers, tablets and smartphones; (b) people who have left seeing a bleak future for their skilled profession in the city; (c) people with a plan to return after the business activities pick up in the city.


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