Daily-wage workers anxious over possible lockdown

Mysuru: Even as debate over cordoning-off parts of Narasimharaja assembly segment continues following an increase in Covid positive cases and deaths, residents here are anxious as the decision could inconvenience them.
Most residents are daily-wage earners. Women here roll beedis and incense sticks to keep the fire burning. Plans of a lockdown could push them to the wall.
The district administration says some individuals from the constituency delayed seeking medical help and have breathed their last. Some residents in the constituency aren’t willing to get tested and have been cooperating with health staff. The crux of the matter is that most of them live in single-room houses and a lockdown makes them stay indoors for a longer time where they can’t maintain social distance.
Former mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath said lockdown has become inevitable to contain the spread of the infection. “However, what is worrying is that people in this part of Mysuru are all living a hand to mouth life and they need to work daily to make a living. We’re in a catch-22 situation,” said Pushpalatha, who is also a corporator of ward 11.
Ayub Khan, a corporator, admits there is an increase in cases in the last two weeks and a lockdown-like restriction is inevitable. Being alive is important than all other things, he said.