Dhananjay Awde

Dhananjay Awde, a 40-year-old swimming pool cleaner at a club in Someshwar Wadi, Pune, traveled to Satara during the lockdown. His financial strategy involved using savings and borrowing money as needed. Informed by neighbors and YouTube, Dhanaji and his family primarily walked for about 20 days, as transportation services charged exorbitant fees.

They faced severe scarcity of food, water, and financial resources, with no external support. Upon arrival, they were quarantined without health amenities.

Due to limited work prospects in their hometown, they returned to the city for employment. Dhananjay emphasizes the need for a specific timeframe for blue-collar migrants to vacate urban centers before future lockdowns to prevent such hardships.