Night shelter for migrant labourers set up in Chandigarh

A shelter home has been set up at a community centre in Maloya for migrant labourers amid the national lockdown imposed in the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic.

"There are at least 50 migrants in the shelter right now and they are all very comfortable. We have made all the necessary arrangements for them with regards to food and accommodation," Sarish Kumar Jain, SDM told ANI.

The night shelter have a maximum capacity to accomodate at least 200 migrants and the officials are expecting the same number of people in the next few days.

Vinod, one of the migrant labour who hails from Uttar Pradesh said that the police brought him to the community centre. "The facilities provided here are very good. I was given food, water and tea as well," he said.

Hundreds of migrants, a majority of whom are daily wage workers started rushing on foot to their native places from different states amid uncertainty over their livelihood following the announcement of a 21-day nationwide lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week in order to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.

According to the Ministry of Health, the total number of cases with COVID-19 rose to 1071 in India on Monday.