4,056 Andhra fishermen stranded in Gujarat to return home in 72 hrs: AP govt

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday said a total of 4,056 fishermen from the state stranded in Gujarat because of the COVID-19 lockdown will return home in the next 72 hours.

A total of 52 buses manned by personnel from the Gujarat administration departed in the early hours on Wednesday. The last bus left Gujarat at 3 am, an official statement said.

"Considering it could take about three days by road, we can expect them to arrive in the state within the next 72 hours," said a government official working on the entire operation.

The Chief Minister asked the officials to ensure that the entire operation is executed smoothly without any hassle.

The government has decided to give Rs 2,000 aid to each fisherman upon their arrival, in order to help them cope with their day-to-day expenditure.

To make sure that the return of these fishermen doesn't result in increasing the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the authorities have decided that all the fishermen upon reaching their respective districts will be subjected to quarantine norms , tested during the same timeframe before being allowed to go to their respective residences.