After dipping into his savings to weather India¡¯s snap pandemic lockdown last March, Manoj Kumar was just getting his head above water again earning 600 rupees ($8) a day as a construction worker in the tourist hot spot of Goa.
He had squirreled away enough for a trip last month to his native village in Bihar some 2,400 kilometers away for a wedding. He¡¯s still there, stuck in one of the nation¡¯s least developed states, as a fierce second COVID-19 wave triggers the world¡¯s worst health crisis and prevents his return. On a lucky day, he¡¯ll land some odd jobs that fetch him as much as 300 rupees. But there aren¡¯t too many of those chores left. So he¡¯s taking loans to feed and clothe his wife and three kids.
¡°It is all in God¡¯s hands now,¡± said Kumar, who¡¯s told his wife to curtail spending on items such as lentils, cooking oil and clothes. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I will return. My family is worried and doesn¡¯t want me to go back as the cases are also rising in Goa.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.