After losing job, youth cycles 2,000 km over seven days to reach home

On April 9 Odisha became the first state to extend the 21day nationwide lockdown in the state till April 30 But two days before the extended lockdown was announced a 20yearold youth from Odisha who was working in Maharashtras Sangli district before the lockdown returned to his state after cycling for around 2000 kmThe 20yearold youth identified as Mahesh Jena left Sangli on April 1 and reached Odisha on April 7 after he cycled around 2000 km for seven days Jena took the bold decision when the factory where he worked was closed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21day nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of the global pandemicWhile speaking to Hindustan Times Jena said When the factory was closed we were told that it would not reopen for the next five months I figured out that if I continued to stay then I would run out of money quickly So the only option was leaving the place at any costIn order to reach Odisha Jena bought a bicycle for Rs 1200 and spent another Rs 500 to replace its tyre and tube Jena who began his journey on April 1 at 430 a said that his original plan was to reach his village in 15 daysTalking about his journey he said When I started I did not want to stop I rode during the daytime and carried on till 12 in the night I would then look for a temple or roadside dhaba to sleep During his journey Jena ate at roadside dhabas and at places where local police or NGOs would offer free food During the journey Jena not only replaced his cycle tyres but his phone was also conked offSpeaking about how he planned to reach Odisha Jena said When I first arrived in Sangli along with my village friend 7 months ago I had hazy idea about the route On April 1 when I started from Sangli I thought I could cover about 120130 km a day on the cycle and reach home But when I started I did not want to stop I rode during the daytime and carried on till 12 in the night I would then look for a temple or roadside dhaba to sleep offUpon reaching Sholapur Jena rode towards Hyderabad and then towards Vijayawada Post which he rode his bicycke to Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh before entering Odisha at Ganjam From Ganjam he then cycled to Bhubaneswar Cuttack and finally Jajpur on April 7 eveningUpon reaching Jajpur on April 7 Jena was stopped by the police at a check post installed where the police personnel stopped outsiders from entering the district Talking about Jena police inspector Ashish Kumar Sahu said With a rucksack on his back he was cycling After lockdown was announced the factory in Maharashtra where he worked as a daily labourer was closed leaving him and several others in great misery He somehow managed to get a rickety bicycle from a local there and started cycling to his home in OdishaFollowing lockdown procedures Jena was first screened at the district headquarters hospital where he was found without any COVID19 symptoms Post which he was sent to a government quarantine centre where he would be kept in isolation for 14 daysI was worried about being picked up by police during my journey I was stopped twice by police on AndhraMaharashtra border and AndhraOdisha border but I was allowed to gorecalls Jena who was stopped by the police on two occasionsThe 20yearold migrant worker has spent over seven days at the quarantine facility Speaking about his time at the quarantine centre Jena said that the meal which comprised of rice and a boiled curry of lentil and vegetables was getting too boring for him Speaking about the food he stated How long can you eat the same food twice a day After I am discharged from the quarantine centre I plan to go back home and have a nice meal Once the factories reopen I would again go backLauding the youngster on his inspiring journey Odishas Jajpur block development officer Sourav Chakraborty said that it was incredible the way he cycled to his home His journey would make a very good script for a movieCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here 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