A Visit to Mumbai's Kurla Station: Scared Migrant Workers, Struggling Cops, No Social Distancing

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posted on 3 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Many passengers were waiting outside Mumbai's Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) station even though their trains were scheduled in the evening.

Crowded queues were witnessed outside Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) station in Mumbai’s Kurla.The queues were mostly of migrant labourers returning to their cities, believing that stricter curbs could be implemented in India’s financial capital in the next few days by the Uddhav government.

“This is the second time I’m going back to Uttar Pradesh. I used to work at a restaurant in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) but now it’s shut. I’ll return and probably help my family with farming,” said Vivek Thakur while speaking to CNN-News18.

Many families too were seen standing in the queue and not maintaining social distancing. Marshals deployed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) were seen fining those who were not wearing masks. Many passengers were waiting outside the terminus even though their trains were scheduled in the evening.

Regular announcements were being made by police officers, ordering passengers that only those with a valid ticket would be allowed to enter along with an ID proof. Local police officials were also seen having a tough time while maintaining road traffic, including auto-rickshaws that were dropping the passengers at the railway station.

Issuance of platform tickets has been stopped temporarily at important stations, including LTT. According to railway authorities, the move was implemented to avoid crowding of passengers inside the trains.

Another youth, 21-year-old Ankur Yadav, said that he tried purchasing a passenger ticket online but it wasn’t available. “I came here to see if it’s possible to book a ticket. I’ve been told that the trains are full for the next few days,” added Yadav.

Although the crowds outside the station were not restless, many were disappointed after not being able to purchase a ticket. Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Sunday reported 63,294 fresh cases of Covid-19 along with 349 deaths.