Cong's Sibal questions Modi govt for migrant exodus; says it hadn't prepared for lockdown

Amid rising cases of coronavirus in the country, and an apparent migrant exodus, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an answer. Taking to Twitter on March 29, he said that for Janta Curfew the PM had given a 4-day notice and for a pan-India lockdown, there was only a 4 hours notice. Calling the Central government as 'imcompetent', Sibal added that it had no preparations ahead of lockdown and therefore migrant exodus is happening. 

WATCH: Migrant exodus from Delhi to UP stopped at Ghazipur; Police asks them to return

Migrant exodus

As the lockdown began in the country, migrant workers, especially from Bihar, UP and West Bengal, in the absence of transport facilities, started a home-bound walk. This came despite the Government of India and the state government's numerous advice to avoid travel and stay put at the current location. On March 29, after UP and Delhi governments arranged buses to send them home, a large crowd gathered at Delhi's Anand Vihar Bus terminal to board buses, raising the risk of COVID 19 spread.

Lockdown will have no meaning if migrant labourers are sent on Special Bus: Nitish Kumar

Coronavirus in India

As of March 29, India has reported  898 cases so far, and 19 deaths. To tackle the growing cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. The highest number of cases have been reported from Maharashtra - 186 cases and Kerala - 182 cases.

COVID-19: MHA releases new lockdown guidelines; farming & related activities to operate

Prime Minister Modi established a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund).

Meanwhile, on Monday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) published a study warning about community transmission of the pandemic that may take place from a minimum of 20 days to a few months. It also stated that by quarantining of individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 can delay the introduction of the virus into the community by three days to three weeks  - which in turn reduces cumulative cases by 62%  and the peak number of cases by 89%, in an optimistic scenario. 

UP govt deploys bus fleet to intercept migrant exodus from Delhi; 100 buses per hour