Kota rescue: Seventy buses head out to bring students home

Staying in paying guest accommodations with a fastdepleting stock of instant noodles students from Maharashtra in Kota Rajasthan had been living precariously since the lockdown began over a month ago On Wednesday the group had reason to cheer as their pleas were finally heard and state transport buses set out to bring them homeA convoy of over 70 buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC with a breakdown maintenance van and spare drivers began the 630kmlong journey from Dhule on Wednesday around 1030 am midday had first reported that the MSRTC has been tasked to bring students back and the plan had been awaiting approvalStudent Aditi Thorat hails from SolapurThe buses will bring approximately 1764 stranded students and drop them in their respective home districts in Maharashtra Mumbai and Thane have 10 students each The number of students may have reduced after parents and local officials arranged for private buses as the state delayed in deciding on the matter over the cost of transport A few private buses reached Navi Mumbai on Tuesday morningmidday spoke to two students who said they have to walk 15 km just to get a mealWe have been waiting to be taken home for over a week We got to know of the state transport buses through news but there has been no official confirmation Authorities in Kota asked us to check on Thursday as that is when the buses are expected to arrive said Om Ghadling who hails from Buldhana Another student Aditi Thorat who hails from Solapur said We are mostly staying in PG accommodations When used to rely on tiffin services but amid the lockdown everything is shut The local government gives food but we have to walk 15 km for that Many of us have been relying on instant noodle packs which too are getting scarceGhadling added that names of 44 students are missing from the list prepared by the government We hope they too get to return he said Many of the 2000 students had arrived in Kota just before the lockdown began to enrol in coaching centresSocial distancing on busA senior MSRTC official said the buses will reach Rajasthan by Wednesday night Dhule was chosen as the start off point as it is nearest to RajasthanOnly 20 students will be allowed in each bus and the vehicles will halt at two to three places for food breaks The buses will leave from Kota on Thursday morning Due to the longdistance journey of 11 to 12 hours each bus has two drivers A van will accompany the convoy to help during breakdowns The buses will ferry students to their respective districts the official addedAfter returning the students and their parents will undergo a medical checkup followed by the mandatory 14day home quarantineAsked why these buses cant carry migrants stuck in the city another officer said that they cant be brought to Dhule and that the buses have been sanitised especially for this journey The buses have been given provisions such as sanitisers disinfectants masks and glovesAfter discussions with the government and due permissions the Dhule Guardian Minister and Minister of State for Revenue Abdul Sattar Dhule Collector Sanjay Yadav and MSRTC Dhule Division Controller Manisha Sapkal arranged the fleet in a short span of time20Approx no of students to be allowed on each busInterstate travel for migrants studentsThe Union Home Ministry issued a sixpoint guideline on Wednesday to states and union territories to facilitate interstate movement of stranded persons including migrant labourers students and tourists The guidelines state that such movement shall be in mutual consultation and agreement between states in buses following physical distancing screening at source and destination followed by homeinstitutional quarantine arrivalCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news