Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 28 (EMN): Dimapur is facing an overwhelming challenge as 99% of stranded Nagaland citizens returning home are received at the commercial hub, according to the bureaucrat in-charge of all Covid-19 related activities of Dimapur, Y Kikheto Sema.
Addressing a press conference in Dimapur on Thursday, he informed that 75% to 80% of returnees were from Dimapur, Peren and Mon districts, and a total of 4000 have arrived so far from outside states.
‘More than 3200 returnees so far are from the three districts and to tackle it is a huge task,’ he said.
One crucial challenge they face is accommodation for the returnees as the number is increasing day by day, he added.
Sema said that they were expecting around 3000-4000 citizens to register in the returnees’ form but it went up to 18000 within two days, he said.
Initially, they were able to arrange a little over 1000 beds including government rest houses in Medziphema and Dimapur but it fell short, he said.
Therefore, they approached private schools and colleges for quarantine facilities and were able to arrange around 2500 beds.
As of today, the government has arranged around 4000 beds for accommodation. He also acknowledged the Ao churches and Ao community of Dimapur for sponsoring 300 people, Western Sumi Hoho in collaboration with Western Sumi Baptist Association for sponsoring around 200 people and Kuda Baptist Church for sponsoring around 30 people.
Sema informed that the government has directed the Police department to convert Ganeshnagar facility as a quarantine centre, which can accommodate around 1000 people.
He added that the one problem they might face in the near future is if there is no staggering of special trains arriving in the state.
Sema added that within the next week they are expecting around 3200 returnees from different states of India.
He informed that they are ready to send those people who have tested negative and those who have completed 14 days quarantine to Peren and Mon districts in the coming days, since accommodation will become a problem.
He appealed to the Peren, Mon and Dimapur districts to accept and be prepared for the returnees.
Sema informed that they are waiting for the green signal from the higher ups. He also said that if they keep all the positive cases in Dimapur pertaining to Mon and Peren districts, then they would have to identify another Covid-19 hospital.
The official informed that they have discussed this issue in a meeting but ‘it all depends on the government order’.
Sema added that initially it was all about preparation of law and order, spreading awareness of Covid-19 and distribution of essential commodities but for the last two weeks, they have been fully committed in receiving people from outside the state.
‘Although lockdown is there, regular railway services have started so the workload has increased,’ he said and added that even to maintain the e-pass and train timing were difficult.