Domestic workers struggling as residents fear infection

New Delhi: While the COVID-19 lockdown has been relatively eased by the government and administration, residents of various high rise societies and sectors across Noida and Greater Noida are still not taking any chance under the fear of a COVID infection and continue to restrict the entry of domestic workers.

In Gautam Buddh Nagar, the administration had left the decision of allowing entry to domestic workers to respective RWAs/AOA. While many residential society associations have maintained that one worker is allowed to work only in one home, the decision kept troubling these workers, with their livelihoods severely affected.

"Earlier I used to work in six houses in the society but now no one is calling for work. I am only allowed to work at a house where an elderly couple is living. I used to earn Rs 7,000-8,000 per month earlier but now I only get Rs 1,800 per month while those employers with whom I had worked earlier are not paying me wages" said Kuresha, a domestic worker working in Stellar Jeevan society in Greater Noida West.

A resident of the society said that they have now distributed household work among family members as they are still afraid of a risk of infection if they allow domestic workers to start work again.