Young food vendor walks from Delhi to UP's Badaun sans public transport

As normal life has come to a standstill with no public transport available following the imposition of a 21-day countrywide lockdown, a 16-year-old food vendor is travelling to Badaun in Uttar Pradesh from Delhi on foot.

The distance between Delhi and Badaun is around 225 kilometres.

The youngster makes his ends meet by selling chole bhature in Andrews Ganj area in Delhi from where he started making the long walk to his hometown, without having a morsel.

"I sell chhole-bhature in Andrews Ganj area from where I started walking on foot towards my home in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh. I hope to reach there by tomorrow. I have not eaten anything since yesterday," said the 16-year-old Shanti Pal, who had reached Anand Vihar by that time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from March 24 midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 649 positive coronavirus cases in the country, including 593 active cases.