Nagaland govt. preparing for ‘massive’ arrival of stranded citizens

Our Correspondent
Kohima May 2 (EMN): There are about 50,000 citizens of Nagaland stranded in various parts of the country due to the lockdown imposed to contain the Covid-19 transmission, according to the government of Nagaland.

As Nagaland has now been declared a ‘Green Zone’, Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Commissioner Sentiyanger Imchen said that the next move would be to establish certain protocols for people returning to the state “so that we contain the spread of virus”.

He informed that the Health department is preparing a standard operating procedure, and once the government approves it, those guidelines will be put in place for the citizens to follow.

He shared that if flight services to Nagaland start operating, the government expects 200 people to fly in everyday.

‘We have identified the hotels and also tried to identify certain public places where those coming in can be put in quarantine,’ he informed.

‘In Kohima, we have capacity for 800 people and we are in the process of acquiring beds, mattresses, bed sheets, and if necessary, we have asked the Police department to send their cooks, and medical team will be present in the quarantine wards,’ Imchen said.

He also informed that, in Dimapur 700 beds have been arranged in public places, and there are around 500-600 hotel rooms available.

The plan, he shared, is to pick up those arriving at Dimapur Airport by buses and segregate them: Those who want to go to Kohima will be sent in buses, and those who want to stay in Dimapur will be sent to the designated quarantine wards.

“And after proper screening and everything, we will slowly send them to their respective districts,” he added.

According to him, the authorities are arranging maximum number of beds in Dimapur as the new arrivals would have to be quarantined in Dimapur before being sent to their respective districts.

“It is going to be a massive exercise,” Imchen said.

He advised students whose exams are around the corner not to return to Nagaland during this time unless necessary because, as per the decision of the government (which may change), they will have to be quarantined for 14 days in Dimapur, and spend another 14 days in quarantine ward in their own districts.

“But we do understand the emotion of the parents and the children. So, government will not stop them (from coming). Practical decision has to be taken by the individual and discuss with their families,” he added.