NEW DELHI: What do you do when you get baked by the relentless sun? For 51-year-old Samir Karmakar, a labourer from Maharashtra, the best way is to keep himself submerged for 2-3 hours in a shallow waterbody behind Vigyan Bhavan.
Last October, Karmakar made his way from Dharavi in Mumbai to work as a utensil cleaner in bars and restaurants in Connaught Place. For the past two months, he has had no work since all establishments are shut. Though he can speak English fluently, he hasn’t been able to land another job.
“When the lockdown was announced, I started living on a pavement in Connaught Place. But since police are strict and don’t allow homeless in the area, I moved near Rajpath. They don’t disturb me here,” he said.
Asked how he manages to eat, Karmakar said, “When the sun cannot be seen behind
South Block
, I start my search for dinner. I collect food packets from volunteers and sometimes from the gurdwara.” He didn’t try to return to Mumbai as Dharavi is a Covid-19 hotspot. He hopes to find a job as soon as eateries open after the lockdown restrictions are lifted.
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