Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur (SHP)

Raipur, Apr 21: Fearing the lockdown extension, a group of 14 daily wage labourers which included a 12-year-old girl undertook a journey on foot from Telangana to their home in Chhattisgarh. However, after undertaking a journey of 100 km for three days, the girl identified as Jamalo Madkam died 11 km away from her home in Bijapur.

In a report by Indian Express, Madkam's death was considered to be a result of electrolyte imbalance and exhaustion. The only child of Andoram (32) and Sukamati Madkam (30) who make a living from the forest produce they collect.

Reportedly, Madkam had left her home for the first time two months ago to work at a chilli farm in Telangana along with some of her relatives and friends. "She went to Telangana with some women from the village," Andoram was quoted as saying.

Representational Image

The chief minister of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel has announced Rs 1 lac for Madkam's family.

A major part of the tribal population from Chhattisgarh annually earn money by picking chillies at farms in Telangana.

Andoram was quoted as saying that he last heard that Madkam had left Peruru village in Telangana, where she worked, on April 16 with a group. "They decided to come back after realising that the lockdown had got extended and they would not get any work," he added.

Further, the report stated that the group also had three children and eight women.

As per sources of Andoram, Madkam died around 8 am on April 18 when the group reached the border of Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh. The group could not inform the family as only one among them had a phone whose battery had died.

Finally, when the group reached Bhandarpal village in Bijapur district, they managed to call the parents.

Medical Officer of Bijapur district Dr B R Pujari said that when they got the news, they immediately rushed over. “Since Telangana had cases, we immediately sent our teams, but we could not find them,” he said.

hcurrently has 36 positive cases, of which 11 are in hospital. It is quarantining anyone arriving from outside the state. In Telangana, 872 positive cases have been reported.

Finally, a medical team from Bijapur managed to catch up with the group on the outskirts of Bhandarpal village. While Madkam's body was taken to a morgue, the group was sent into a quarantine facility.

On Sunday evening, Andoram and Sukamati arrived to take their daughter’s body. “The girl is suspected to have died due to electrolyte imbalance and exhaustion, as the group had been walking three days. They walked through forests, and at one place, she also took a fall," said Dr Pujari.

The following day, Madkam's test results for coronavirus came and she tested negative for the virus