With Karnataka going into lockdown, people return to Tamil Nadu by foot

The inter-State border at Zuzuvadi right here has began to see a trickle of people strolling in with their belongings, with just a few hours left for the full lockdown introduced by Karnataka State authorities.

Two younger girls hailing from Tirupathur, and employed in an IT agency in Whitefield determined to return house as an alternative of spending cash on their PG lodging. “We have been working from home for the last one week. But with the lockdown, we will have to continue to work from home. It made sense to go home to our parents, than stay in Bengaluru and spend for food and accommodation,” mentioned considered one of them, Shanti.

However, fearing a rush out of Bengaluru, they packed their baggage and located a bus from Whitefield to Athibelle. With just a few buses into Tamil Nadu, and the final spherical of buses plying out of Karnataka into Tamil Nadu subjected to COVID-19 pointers of restricted passengers, the 2 girls had to stroll a couple of kilometres from Athibelle into Tamil Nadu.

The Hosur bus stand wore a desolate look, with hardly any bus to ferry people again from Karnataka. The numerous divisions of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation have already pulled again their companies into Karnataka making it troublesome for the Tamil Nadu native staff of Karnataka to discover their manner again.

“There is physical distancing in buses, and no standing passengers are allowed. We got dropped off at Athibelle and no buses would stop. Taxis were demanding ₹750 for 3 km, autorickshaws were charging ₹250. We had no choice but to walk,” mentioned Shanti.

At the border, autorrickshaws and taxis had been seen overcharging commuters, leaving no choice for these returning however to stroll. With no city bus companies organized by the district administration to ferry the commuters from the border, the freeway was slowly starting to be dotted by people strolling in with their baggage, as of Tuesday morning.