Grounded at Sarasbaug for more than three weeks

PUNE: Shivappa Gaud moved to Pune from his village in Gadag district, Karnataka, five years ago in search of a livelihood. For over three weeks, however, he has had no option but to beg for survival due to the lockdown imposed to deal with the spread of coronavirus.
Gaud has been living on the footpath at Sarasbaug and surviving on food packets donated by good Samaritans.“The people here are very kind,” he said, expressing a deep sense of gratitude.
The 57-year-old was left jobless when the construction site, where he worked, closed down. Gaud says he was worried about his family’s safety after the number of Covid-19 cases increased so he decided to head back to his village to be with his two sons and a daughter. He tucked all his belongings in a tarpaulin bag and reached Swargate bus station.
“When I decided to return to my village, I vacated my hut and reached Swargate from where buses to my village depart. However, I could not board any bus and found myself stranded here without a shelter after the shutdown was imposed.”
To add to his woes, Gaud lost contact with his children because he could not recharge his mobile plan once the shops shut too. “My wife has passed away. I have no education and we do not own any land in the village. I moved to Pune because I would be able to find some job here,” Gaud shared.
Earlier, he would find odd jobs as a construction labourer in Katraj and earn about Rs500, per day. “I also found a hut in a slum in the area and bought a mobile phone so that I could stay in touch with my children back home,” Gaud said.
He has been living on the footpath in Sarasbaug and is now entirely out of funds. “Thankfully, people here offer me food. The police too do not object to me living at the bus stop. But I have not been able to take a bath for over three weeks. I came here to work and got reduced to being a beggar. I wish God shows some mercy so that I can return home and reunite with my children,” Gaud said.