"India has an estimated 140 million migrant workers, according to nonprofit organisations and researchers who point to large gaps in data on their numbers and locations. This has led to inadequate and delayed responses during emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic, when tens of thousands of workers were forced to walk home after the central government imposed a nationwide lockdown."
"More than a million migrant workers returned to Odisha during the pandemic. But in the absence of any reliable data on who they were or where they were travelling from, the authorities struggled to coordinate their return. Lack of data also affects access to and delivery of welfare and aid, researchers and campaigners have repeatedly flagged."
"A volunteer from a nonprofit organisation explains it is a chatbot called Bandhu (friend) that aims to connect the largely undocumented migrant workforce of the state of Odisha to emergency services and keep their families updated on their location. Your details will not be shared publicly. It is only to help you in case of emergencies."
India has approximately 140 million migrant workers, most of whom remain undocumented, creating significant gaps in data about their numbers and locations. This lack of information has resulted in inadequate and delayed emergency responses, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic when tens of thousands of workers were forced to walk home after lockdown implementation. Over one million migrant workers returned to Odisha during the pandemic, but authorities struggled to coordinate their return without reliable data on their identities or origins. The data gap also severely impacts access to welfare services and aid delivery. A nonprofit organization has developed Bandhu, a WhatsApp chatbot designed to connect Odisha's undocumented migrant workforce with emergency services and keep families informed of their locations, addressing critical information gaps.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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