Most of the hotspot states are traditionally favoured destinations for the Odia migrants

Odisha government’s proactive steps in the ongoing nationwide lockdown for the containment of the outbreak of contagious virus Covid-19 has been applauded nationally, like the handling of cyclone Fani last year. The state successfully implemented its own action plan along with central government’s ‘complete lockdown’ guidelines, and has been working proactively round the clock to flatten the Covid curve. Odisha is the first State in the country planning to bring back stranded migrant workers with a proactive scientific road map. Around 59 percent migrants from Odisha end up in 18 districts – 5 in Chhattisgarh, 3 in Maharashtra, 3 in Andhra Pradesh, 2 in West Bengal; and 1 each in Gujarat and Karnataka. Raipur is followed by the Durg (18000), Raigarh (11000), Bastar (10000) and Mahasamund (10000), where also a considerable number of migrants reported other than marriage as main reason for their migration. In West Bengal, the most favourable destination districts are Kolkata and North 24 Parganas, which accommodate around one half of the total migrants from Odisha. Census of India-2011covid19india.org (5 th May, 2020)StatesDistrictsMigrants(000)Covid-19 casesZoneGJSurat145.4706Red ZoneMHMumbai Suburban31.39310Red ZoneThane26.42018Red ZonePune15.91238Red ZoneCHHRaipur40.47Red ZoneDurg18.89Green ZoneRaigarh11.30Green ZoneBastar10.40Green ZoneMahasamund10.20Green ZoneAPVisakhapatnam29.237Orange ZoneSrikakulam22.35Orange ZoneRangareddy17.236Red ZoneVizianagaram12.20Green ZoneKRBangalore47.3153Red ZoneWBKolkata21.8659Red ZoneNorth Twenty Four Parganas16.6178Red ZoneIt is worthwhile now to contextualize the return of migrant workers to Odisha in the wake of present crisis of Covid-19. It is not so much a coincidence as well, for the major urban centres would be hotspots naturally, given that the disease has spread with incoming traffic into the country. Maharashtra is the worst affected state, followed by NCT of Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Since this virus has an incubation period of 14 days, the returning migrants will have to follow a mandatory quarantine under the supervision of village sarpanches who have recently been given powers at par with a District Collector to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.