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Dimapur, May 16 (EMN): Several days of travelling on the road could be exhausting, physically and mentally, but that didn’t stop 30 autorickshaw drivers in Dimapur, Nagaland from leaving for their home state Bihar as earning a livelihood in the city was getting harder due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown, a measure imposed to break the chain of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) transmission.
The lockdown, which has been continuing for more than 50 days now, has taken a huge toll on daily wage earners and poorer sections of the society across India, forcing them to leave for their home states.
Dimapur District Auto Driver's Union (DDADU) president Tito Yepthomi told Eastern Mirror that the 30 drivers decided to leave for their home state Bihar along with their families, including young children in their privately-owned autorickshaws as it was getting difficult for them to continue living in Dimapur with no source of income due to the nationwide lockdown.
“Even after repeated pleas not to leave as the lockdown maybe lifted with some relaxation, the auto(rickshaw) drivers could not afford to continue living without any source of livelihood,” Yepthomi said.
He added that autorickshaw drivers, particularly the migrants, were having a hard time despite receiving relief items.
The autorickshaws were said to have left on Saturday, May 16 at around 11 am after a clearance and permit from the Dimapur district administration and a brief flag off by the president of DDADU at the Dillai gate in Dimapur. It was informed that most of the vehicles were of diesel variant.
Yepthomi said it will take the drivers around four days and four nights to reach their home state by autorickshaw. They had stock up their vehicles with food and water for their journey after selling off their household items, he said, adding that they had expressed their wish to return to Dimapur once the lockdown is lifted.
He informed that the drivers were given INR 500 each on behalf of DDADU besides assuring to welcome them back if they wish to return to Nagaland.