Migrant Workers To Self-quarantine On A Banyan Tree Amid India Lockdown

Bhavna Acharya |Mar 30, 2020

As their houses were just single-room huts, there is no personal space for them to self-quarantine. Living on the tree branch appears to be one of the idealist solutions amid India lockdown.

After coming back home in Purulia district, West Bengal, seven workers who earlier worked in Chennai have found their best place for quarantine - a banyan tree outside their village due to the lack of self-isolation room. It was aimed to prevent the spread of coronavirus after them coming back home during the India lockdown.

Migrant Workers Tree Camping Quarantine Self Isolat — one of the 7 workers living on the tree branches with tied bed and mosquito net

According to the migrant workers who are the residents of Bangidiha village, their houses are just small huts with only one room where the whole family lives together. That makes it impossible for isolation. To protect other residents from coronavirus transmission, even when they do not know if they’re contracted with the virus or not, they have to find an isolated place to live during the lockdown.

Migrant Worker Tree Camping Quarantine Self Isolat — Even when they show no sign of coronavirus infection, they were asked to self-isolate to prevent the spread of the virus

One of the workers also added that they’re in a healthy state at the moment without any symptoms of sickness. However, they were asked to isolate themselves from the village.

"But our house is too small and we have no personal room to self-isolate. So living on this banyan tree is the best idea we can come up with, said the worker. Each worker ties a single bed on the branch of the tree and prevents themselves from mosquito with a small net. Meanwhile, their family provides all necessities including foods, water, and other facilities that are left under the tree so the standard social distance could be maintained.

In addition to that, villagers nominate a couple of vigil by turn to keep these workers safe from wild animals and snakes. In fact, Purulia villagers are getting used to tree camping as it is a popular way to protect themselves from elephant attacks. However, the local authority asked them to leave their ‘temporary home’ and return to their real home last Saturday.

Check out the video of how India lockdown affects the lives of million migrant workers across the country: