Lockdown scenes: Migrant labourers sprayed with disinfectant meant for sanitising buses in UP
The workers went from Delhi, Haryana, and Noida in special buses arranged for them.
Who r u trying to kill, Corona or humans? Migrant labourers and their families were forced to take bath in chemical solution upon their entry in Bareilly. @Uppolice@bareillytraffic @Benarasiyaa @shaileshNBT pic.twitter.com/JVGSvGqONm
— Kanwardeep singh (@KanwardeepsTOI) March 30, 2020
Migrant labourers who returned to Uttar Pradesh were sprayed with a disinfectant upon their entry to Bareilly. A video of officials dressed in protective gear and spraying the disinfectant on the workers who are squatting on the road has gone viral on social media.
“The migrants were sprayed with a mix of chlorine and water,” an official involved with the exercise was quoted as saying by NDTV. “No chemical solution was used. We asked them to keep their eyes shut.”
However, the District Magistrate of Bareilly informed in a tweet that the disinfectant was meant to sanitise buses and not people. “The Municipal Corporation of Bareilly and the fire brigade were asked to sanitise the buses, but out of extra caution, they sprayed the disinfectant on the workers too. Instructions to take action against those responsible have been given,” the magistrate said.
इस वीडियो की पड़ताल की गई, प्रभावित लोगों का सीएमओ के निर्देशन में उपचार किया जा रहा है। बरेली नगर निगम एवं फायर ब्रिगेड की टीम को बसों को सैनेटाइज़ करने के निर्देश थे, पर अति सक्रियता के चलते उन्होंने ऐसा कर दिया। सम्बंधित के विरुद्ध कार्रवाई के निर्देश दिए गए हैं। https://t.co/y8TmuCNyu5
— District Magistrate (@dmbareilly) March 30, 2020
An officer from the fire department also said that the chemical was meant to be sprayed on metal surfaces and not on humans.
More bizzare stuff on the story of migrants sprayed with disinfectant in Bareilly .This is the district’s fire officer - he says ‘chemical’ used as disinfectant was only meant for metal and other surfaces and not human beings.Then says it seems people got sprayed inadvertently ! pic.twitter.com/Dm6Qo9q45P
— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) March 30, 2020
The officer also said that the chemical used for sanitisation was sodium hypochlorite, commonly called bleach. The sanitisation exercise has been undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of the city and is carried out using vehicles of the fire department.
here is more truly worrying stuff on the bareilly story of migrant workers sprayed with disinfectant .Guess which chemical was used .Sodium Hypochlorite , in the words of chief fire officer. In simple language- ‘bleach’! Which as we all know can be very harmful ! Unbelieveable ! pic.twitter.com/Y6NZnhNXIK
— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) March 30, 2020
These workers reached Uttar Pradesh from Delhi, Haryana, and Noida in special buses arranged for them. Migrant labourers across the country set off for their hometowns on foot after the transport services were shut due to the lockdown. After the distressing news of the workers walking hundreds of km to reach home spread, the Uttar Pradesh government arranged special buses to ferry the migrants stranded in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, and Aligarh, among other places.