Soon after the guidelines were issued to the states by Centre for bringing back the stranded students and migrant workers, various state governments started the evacuation process by arranging buses and trains to bring back its students stuck in places due to lockdown.
As many as 50 students from Worli are stuck and want to go back to their native. These students are from hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in Mumbai's Worli area. Majority of these students are from rural parts of Maharashtra.
The students have requested the state authorities to allow them go home amid the COVID-19 induced lockdown.
The Social Welfare Department is providing proper meals to the students.
The students are scared beacuse the highest number of cases in Mumbai are from the Worli-Prabhadevi area.
There are three Social Welfare Department run hostels in BDD chawl.
The students residing in the hostel have been told by the hotel management to get their medical checkups done before leaving for their home. However, the students cannot afford to arrange private transportation.
Ashok Bansode, an engineering student who hails from Akkalkot in Solapur said, "Initially, we were getting proper food. But as the cases kept rising in Worli area, restrictions came in place and now we are just being served dal and rice every day. We are also wondering whether or not the department will take responsibility for us."
"The way arrangements were done for students in Kota, we should also be given such help. We cannot arrange for our own transportation," Bansode added.
Sachin Bansode, member of Chhatra Bharati, an independent student organization based in India is trying to facilitate the students travel arrangement said, "These students too have the right to go back home. Majority of the students belong to rural parts of Maharashtra and can't afford to head home on their own. We are in the process of understanding how they can be helped without compromising on safety."