Crisis On The Burner: Migrants Wait For Trains, Not Relief In Delhi

As the LPG crisis deepens, Delhi is witnessing a growing exodus of migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, forced to return to their hometowns. With no means to afford accommodation or food, many say they have reached a dead end. Gas cylinders, priced at up to ₹400 per kg, are far beyond their reach. Workers have also raised concerns over the lack of government response, questioning whether any emergency reserves exist for situations like this. “The government should have had some emergency stock ready. This is what they're supposed to do as leaders. This reminds me of COVID-19,” said Sarvesh, sitting on the platform at Anand Vihar Railway Station as he waited for his train home.

Updated on: 7 April 2026 5:03 pm

Published at: 7 April 2026 5:03 pm

Large crowds occupy the New Delhi Railway Station platform, as passengers sit, rest, and wait amid a heavy rush of many going back to their native states due to the LPG crisis. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

1/7

Passengers wait with their luggage at the platform, checking and rearranging their belongings as they prepare for departure. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

2/7

Dharmendar Kumar sits in the overcrowded general coach. Above him, others lie on luggage racks, a common sight on Indian trains where space is a luxury few can afford. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

3/7

Young men look out from the crowded train window after just boarding, their faces tired, sitting packed inside the general coach. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

4/7

Carrying sacks of goods on their shoulders, labourers at the New Delhi Railway yard push through the strain. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

5/7

26 years old Suresh says how living in the big city has become unbearably expensive. The LPG crisis has forced him to go back to his hometown in Bihar and try his luck with farming. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

6/7

A family balances their entire life on their backs — sacks, bags, and children in tow — as they make their way through the station. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook

7/7

Exhausted and Tired: Nandini, Kamal and Priyanka (from right) rest by the roadside with their heavy bags, waiting for their mother who's gone to fetch tickets for the family. | Photo: Suresh K Pandey/Outlook