Truck drivers from other states stranded in Lucknow

The 21-day lockdown has come hard on truck drivers belonging to other states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar who are stranded in Lucknow’s Transport Nagar area since the last few days.

The nationwide lockdown in the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases has disrupted movement of trucks across the country. Truck drivers stranded in Lucknow and Varanasi are struggling for food and drinking water.

The 21-day lockdown has come hard on Vijay and other truck drivers belonging to other states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar who are stranded in Lucknow’s Transport Nagar area since the last few days. With very limited money left they are unable to afford proper meals.

“We have brought 250 gms of bean, 300 gms of dal to cook for 10 people who are stranded here due to the lockdown. We also don’t have enough flour and rice. Everyone stranded here is getting very little food to eat. We also don’t have enough money to buy grocery items and cook food in chulha,” said Vijay, a truck driver from Pune who is stranded in Lucknow.

“I came from Pune on March 16 to deliver machinery. I was supposed to take back a consignment with me but due to the lockdown we are not being allowed to move from here. We cannot survive under the present conditions if no arrangement is made for sending us back home,” said Vijay.

A truck driver from Bengaluru, Dhanraj said, “I came on March 19 and since then I am stranded with my truck at this parking lot. We are not getting any help from the local administration. People living in this area told us that the authorities are distributing free food to the needy but we have not seen any distribution taking place in this area. We should be allowed to go back to our native place. Without proper food and drinking water facility, survival is becoming difficult for us.”

However, most of the drivers belonging to districts in Uttar Pradesh have left for their hometowns leaving their trucks in the parking areas.

“Most of the trucks standing here belong to the drivers of this state. They have left for their hometowns after locking their vehicles but what about us? We are stranded here without any arrangement of food and water. The government must help us so that we can go back home. It is impossible to live here for the entire lockdown period,” said Ved Prakash, stranded truck driver from Patna.

“If we cannot be sent back home then the government should engage us in some work and all the required arrangements for us should be made here. We are struggling for food and sleep,” said Naimish Patel, truck driver from Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, many trucks are also stranded on the highway (NH-2) in Varanasi due to the lockdown.

Ajit Yadav, a truck driver said, “I am coming from Durgapur in West Bengal. We are stranded on the highway and cops are not allowing us to move further. Some food was provided to us but it is not sufficient for survival. We cannot remain stuck here for long.”

Coronavirus lockdown: Truck drivers from other states stranded in Lucknow

“I am stuck on the highway and no help has been provided to me by the administration. Lockdown has come as a huge inconvenience for the truck drivers,” said Anand, who is stranded on the highway since the lockdown was imposed.

The central and state government has assured people that there will not be any shortage of essential supplies but if the trucks continue to remain stranded there could be a problem in supply chain in the coming days.

source: https://bit.ly/2wM65uo