Nagaland officials worried of porous borders

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 8 (EMN): The porous borders that Nagaland shares with its neighbouring states have become a matter of serious concern for the officials, especially after several Covid-19 positive cases have been reported in Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.

Nagaland has a total of 14 entry points, including railway and roadways.

The principal secretary to the government of Nagaland, Health and Family Welfare (H&FW), Menukhol John, said that the inter-state borders are “an area of concern”. “We can’t help people coming in” for transportation of essential commodities, he added.

Transportation of essential commodities has been exempted from the 21-day nationwide lockdown.

However, John assured that people coming in and out of the state were screened on a daily basis and will continue to do so. The medical team deployed at the border areas are working hard and trying its best, he added.

On an average, over 200 persons, mostly drivers and handymen ferrying essential commodities cross the inter-state border check gate at Khuzama, along National Highway-29, daily. This is seen not only in Kohima district but in other districts as well, he said.

Earlier, Principal Secretary of Home Abhijit Sinha told Eastern Mirror that the government understands the situation along inter-state border areas in Wokha district. After sealing the borders along the district, all vehicles carrying essential commodities are now plying from Dimapur via Kohima, he said, adding that the idea was to avoid going there (Assam) altogether for marketing. 

With regard to manning of border areas, he said police personnel have been strengthened and village authorities were also taking measures at the local level. One of the main issues till a few weeks was people in the border areas doing their shopping in Assam but that had been stopped now. People are aware of the situation and are on high alert, he added.

Principal Director of H&FW Dr. Vizolie Z Suokhrie, who has visited several districts of Nagaland including Wokha to asses Covid-19 preparedness, pointed out that Nagaland-Assam border in Wokha district is a “porous area”, posing a challenge to the state’s attempt to stop the entry of the virus. He added that he had raised the matter with the district administration.

It may be mentioned that the deputy commissioner of Wokha, Orenthung Lotha, has informed through a statement that all Lotha villages bordering Assam have been directed to seal their areas in order to stop substance abusers and drug peddlers from going to Assam. The DC has further instructed respective village council chairman to initiate stringent action against violators of the directives. 

61 samples test negative; results for 4 awaited

A total of 65 samples of suspected novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases have been sent for testing from Nagaland so far — as of 5 pm April 8 — out of which 61 have returned negative and results of the remaining four are awaited, according to an official statement from Principal Secretary of Home Abhijit Sinha.

According to the statement, a total of 5126 persons have signed up in the nCovid-19 Nagaland App, where 3616 persons have self-declared their details. The number of persons presently under home quarantine is 1314 while 25 are in facility quarantine.

“I once again, appeal all those who have entered the State after the 6th of March, 2020 to self-register in the App with their full details,” Sinha requested.

He went on to inform that Dimapur district administration has set up relief camps and shelters for more than 350 stranded migrant labourers, more than 8,000 daily wage earners and needy besides providing food and other essential commodities across the state by the district administrations and civil society organisations

“Reports from the districts regarding the availability of food grains, medicines, POL and other essential goods and commodities are being regularly updated. The position continues to be normal,” he said, while acknowledging the public for the continued co-operation to the government during the lockdown.