Vehicular traffic on the National Highway No. 44 increased between Bengaluru and Hyderabad in both directions on Saturday in anticipation of a major relaxation from Monday in the Lockdown 4.0.
A pair of employees set out on a scooter from Hyderabad to Bengaluru to be in time for attending their offices, which are likely to be open from Monday in view of the relaxations announced by the Karnataka government. Natives of Hyderabad, Rahul and Lavanya, set out early in the morning from Hyderabad and were at the Panchalingala check-post on Telangana-Andhra Pradesh before noon.
Carrying two backpacks and some essentials, they showed their permit issued by the Telangana government and approval from the Karnataka government to the Kurnool Deputy Superintendent of Police, who assured them a trouble-free passage till Karnataka border.
A couple of doctors travelling by their own car from Bengaluru to Hyderabad got their hands stamped at the check-post after a thermal screening. The Telangana police, medical and revenue officials set up a booth on the Andhra side of the toll plaza so that they could thoroughly check everyone before physically entering Telangana.
There is a continuous flow of migratory labourers in all possible modes of transport — mostly on foot and some hiring lorries. Random thermal screening of the batches of labourers was being done. District Collector G. Veerapandian asked officials to provide water and food to all persons travelling by foot and ensure they were healthy.
Anantapur District Collector Gandham Chandrudu expressed dismay at the large number of migrants travelling by foot and appealed to them to take rest in the shelters / quarantines created by the district administration and leave for their destination in Shramik Trains or buses arranged by the government.
He appealed to them to avail themselves of the institutional quarantine facility so that they do not suffer due to fatigue and ill health.
