Nepali workers despite knowing the risk of Covid-19 are flocking back to India as the economy is getting back to track

With the economy in India gathering pace again, thousands of workers from Nepal have been crossing the customs point at Kailali District of Southern Plain of Nepal to rejoin their jobs in India.

According to a June 24 record, a total of 13,00 Nepali went to India from Trinagar Customs. As per the record kept by the armed police force, a total of 7,500 Nepali migrant workers went to India between June 24 to July 24 via Trinagar Customs, said a report by Business Standard.

Since there are no visa requirements to work in India, various cities have been job centers for Nepali workers.

The ANI report carried by Business Standard said that people of various age groups go to India on an annual basis mainly from far-western Nepal which has become a means of living for them.

The report quoted a migrant worker as saying, “Malls have opened in India. I got to join my duty. It has been four months since I reached Nepal to skip the pandemic but I have got nothing to do here. At least I have a job in India with which I am able to meet the expenses of my family. I am therefore thinking about returning to India for the work which is there for me. My employer has been for a week asking me to return, so I am off to New Delhi.”

The Covid-19 lockdown in March had made more than 2,00,000 Nepali migrant workers return to Nepal. However, with the business falling back to track in India, despite the increasing number of cases, Nepali workers are flocking to India for jobs, said the report.

India registered the highest single-day spike of 90, 802 new coronavirus cases today, taking the national caseload past the 42-lakh mark, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.