Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, May 14: The number of people arriving to their native places from other states due to coronavirus pandemic induced lockdown is increasing day by day. These people have to be quarantined compulsorily for 14 days and they are kept in government hostels, private lodges, marriage halls and schools. Most of these centres are already filled with people.

Many people of Udupi are in places like Mumbai and Hyderabad and they are on their toes to come back to their native place. As coronavirus is spreading rampantly in Mumbai, people living there are under panic. In addition, financial difficulties are also bothering them as most of them have lost their jobs. As they could not return to their native place due to the sudden announcement of lockdown in March, they got stuck there in Mumbai. Now as the government has given opportunity to return back to their native place, they are returning back.

The people of Udupi are saying that they will abide by the quarantine rules set by the district administration, but they will come to the district. As they enter the district, they are being sent to quarantine centres under the guidance of police.

More than 1,500 to 2,000 people are entering the district through Shiroor check post. In addition, to people from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, people from Kerala are also coming to Shiroor check post. People coming to Karnataka and Kerala are being checked in separate counters. They are being escorted to quarantine centres by police. MLA Sukumar Shetty arrived at the check post and heard the woes of the people.

The district administration has identified quarantine centres after holding brainstorming sessions with concerned authorities. But as people are arriving in huge numbers, it is required to convert educational institutions into quarantine centres. But most of the schools do not have proper washroom facilities. In some schools, though toilets are there, there is no provision of bathrooms. If more than 20 people are put in one school, a separate temporary bathroom needs to be constructed. In addition, there is water scarcity also as this is hot summer month. So water needs to be supplied through tanks only.