Satsang Seva Journal

This project was in continuation to a prior project we had done for homebound Sharmik Express passengers in May, where in we had distributed 200 travel packs.   As the last few Shramik Express trains leave with homeward bound migrants, we had contacted both Delhi and Noida Administration and Police to provide us information on the next scheduled departures.  On June 6, Delhi Police apprised us about a Shramik Express train scheduled to depart at 8 pm from Anand Vihar Railway Station the same day.  We swung into action immediately and by 5:30 pm, with 250 packs in hand, we navigated the Noida Delhi sealed border and reached the police station at Anand Vihar Railway Station in New Delhi. Passengers were being bused by the Delhi government to the railway station and with the help of the police, at the bus stand, we distributed 250 packs containing Poha (1/2 kg), Sattu (1/2 kg), Roasted channa (400 mg), Jaggery (250 mg), glucose biscuits (4 packets), juice (2 boxes of Frooti)...

Noida is home to a large migrant community that provides services as domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, and daily wage-workers in construction.  For seven days, we distributed 350 packets of cooked food (5 puris and halwa/kala chana) to workers and to passengers bound for destinations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand.  Between May 21-27, we served 2,450 hot food packets of Puri Halwa/Chana to migrant workers in Noida.  We also provided 985 (850 adult and 135 childrens) facemasks.  We enlisted the help of the local police to carry out this project, beginning first with unemployed daily wage-workers, including construction workers at labour camps.  Concurrently, the UP government began dispatching migrant workers on buses to destinations in Uttar Pradesh.  As the state governments arranged trains, Noida police also took on the transport of these passengers to railway stations.   Consequently, our primary distribution turned out to be the temp...

Noida is home to a large migrant community that provides services as domestic workers, rickshaw pullers, and daily wage-workers in construction.  The construction community is particularly vulnerable as most of them are housed in temporary tenements and semi-finished buildings, several without family, being brought here by contractors who in turn, are unable to support them financially at present or send them home.  The plight of the workers is further compounded by their inability to access government ration programs or linked Aadhar card schemes.  Large numbers have decided to walk back home, driven by hunger.   The Noida Expressway is a location where stranded workers are being convinced to stay in place by the police, in labour camps.  Based on research in concert with the local police, we identified clusters in Sector 133 and 134 on Noida Expressway for distribution of dry rations.  The police have been instrumental in helping and feeding their co...