Delhi / Thousands of workers gather at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal amid lockdown in Delhi

New Delhi: Hours after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a week-long lockdown in the national capital, it triggered panic among migrant workers who rushed to Anand Vihar Bus Terminal in Ghaziabad on Monday evening to return to their homes.

The migrants had to wait for hours at the bus stop with no choice to maintain social distancing. Many were seen walking out of the bus stand with heavy loads on their heads and shoulders.

Many migrant workers claimed of being charged around 10 times more than the usual fare by bus drivers.

While speaking to media, one of the migrant labourers said, "We're daily wagers, the Chief Minister should have given us some time before announcing the lockdown. It takes us Rs 200 to reach home, but they are charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 now, how will we go home?"

The situation was no different at the Ghaziabad border as hundreds of migrant labourers had gathered there to return home by walk.

"There is no work for us and no landlord or government will help us during the lockdown. That is why we are leaving. If there is a further lockdown, we will not be able to survive," one of the migrants said.

Yesterday, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava appealed to the people of the national capital to stay at home and follow the COVID-19 guidelines during the one-week lockdown announced by the AAP government.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a six-day lockdown from 10 pm on Monday till 5 am on April 26 which he said was necessary to deal with the rising number of COVID-19 cases as the city's health system was stretched to its limits.