Tamil Nadu industrialists fear another exodus of migrant workers amid covid surge

With the second wave of COVID-19 sweeping across various parts of Tamil Nadu, some of the industrialists in the State are apprehensive of migrant workers leaving for their hometowns considering the health conditions.

The industries recovered from the jolt of the first wave of coronavirus when over one lakh migrant workers from both Coimbatore and Tirupur industries rushed back to their home towns in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha by special trains.

Even as the business started picking up, the 30% increase in the raw materials has affected the industries, sources from different industrial associations said.

Some workers reportedly left for their natives early last week as they feared the availability of transport like trains to reach their towns.

However, there was no major exodus from the industries as the workers working on weekly payment basis had taken their wages Saturday last, the sources said.

Coimbatore and Tirupur reported increased infection cases and a correct picture of workers returning would emerge only after another week, they said.

No worker left the city till Saturday from nearby Tirupur, a major hub of knitwear garments where 80% of over three lakh workers hailed from the North, said sources in the Tirupur Exporters Association.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu logged 5,989 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, pushing the infection count to 9,26,816, while the toll rose to 12,886 with 23 more fatalities, the health department said.

According to a department bulletin, recoveries mounted to 8,76,257 on Saturday with 1,952 patients being discharged, leaving 37,673 active cases.

Chennai accounted for most of the new infections with 1,977 cases, taking the aggregate to 2,63,129. The metropolis also leads in the number of fatalities with 4,312.

A total of 84,546 samples were tested on Saturday, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 2,04,31,588.

Chengalpet reported 615 fresh cases on Saturday, Coimbatore 501, Thiruvallur 212, Madurai 194, Tiruchirappalli 187, Kancheepuram 181, Tiruppur 154, Nagapattinam 144, Salem 135, Cuddalore 127, Tirunelveli 117, Thanjavur 116 and Tuticorin 102.