Social distancing compromised at large-scale government work program in India

Social distancing compromised at large-scale government work program in India

A major government work scheme in India has been questioned for their ability to maintain social distancing for the thousands of labourers it employs.

Work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) commenced in western India's Gujarat state, following a relaxation of the state's lockdown policies during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Drone footage from the town of Una in Gir Somnath district, Saurashtra shows hundreds of labourers working on May 22.

However, there are no hand sanitizers in place to prevent further coronavirus spread or official spacing guidelines to reduce worker contact.

The MGNREGA programs were organised to help restart the Indian economy, that was severely impacted by the national lockdown.

Gujarat Chief Minister has announced a slew of relaxations for the state for the lockdown in the fourth stage with significant relaxations in-state operations to boost the economy and transport systems. At time of reporting, there are 12,905 confirmed cases in Gujarat with 368 new coronavirus cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to the official data.