Homecoming: Odia Couple Cycles 1200 Km From Chennai To Reach Jagatsinghpur

Having lost their livelihood due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, a migrant worker and his wife decided to return home from Chennai riding bicycles.

It took Uday Kiran and Mamta Das 15 days to pedal in excess of 1,200 km to reach their native place in Jagatsinghpur district in Odisha. Having reached on May 25, they are in quarantine at a Covid-19 isolation centre not far from their home.

The couple, who were stranded in Chennai after the company they were working in closed operations after March 25, were eager to return to Odisha. But they were shaken by the news of migrant workers being attacked in Tamil Nadu.

As days went by with zero earning, they started struggling to manage food for themselves. Before long, they realized that the lockdown was not likely to end soon, and decided that they had to return to their native village Ambasala of Balikuda block.

They set out on the long journey on May 8, pedalling about 60 km per day. Locals and passers-by offered them food at various places.

Once they were in Jagatsinghpur, police informed the medical team about their return. After going through the process of registration at SVM College, the couple was sent to the local quarantine centre.