10 migrant workers cycling their way from Vij to Odisha

Visakhapatnam: Tired of the long wait, a group 10 migrant workers from Odisha, who worked in hotels in Vijayawada, decided to cycle their way home.
“We reached the conclusion that there was no point in staying back in Vijayawada after the lockdown was extended. So we decided to leave. All of us have ageing parents at home, we have to return to them” said Subhrantha Panda, who came up with the idea to buy second-hand cycles.
Panda said the lack of regular means of transport has created a demand for second- hand cycles in Vijayawada and neighbouring areas, where many migrant workers are stuck. He and his group bought their cycles from a dealer for Rs 20,000, which they pooled. He lived close to the hotel where he worked.
Braving the heat, the group of 10 from Jhankeshwar (Jagatsinghpur district) set upon their long journey, almost 850kms on May 11 evening and have been on the road since. On Wednesday they reached Visakhapatnam.
One of the group members, Badal said, “Our main worry was finding food and water. However, a number of kind-hearted strangers came to our aid. They provided us with much-needed nourishment. In many places, policemen on duty were kind enough to share with us their food packets and water, which were given to them by local people. So far the journey has been tough but not rough.”
However, the one problem the group is facing is that their phones are running out of charge, “We are seeking the help of locals, especially, those working in petrol bunks to keep our phone batteries charged.” The petrol bunks are also supplying the group with drinking water.
Keeping the scorching summer heat in mind, the group cycles from 0400 am to 1200 pm and again from 0400 pm in the evening to late in the night. As for finding a place to sleep, the youngsters are making do with bus shelters and open heaths. They are, however, worried about their fate and fear that they would either get stuck at a the border or end up in quarantine shelter far away from home.