Infection is on the rise in India, not vigilance at checkpoints

• Suman Suskera

BIRATNAGAR: FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021 – Ram Kumar Rishidev of Biratnagar is one of the frequent visitors from India. Relying on the Indian market to buy household necessities, he reaches Jogbani for rice, pulses, oil and sugar. He said that he used to come to Jogbani from Biratnagar to pick up his belongings as the nearest checkpoint was Jogbani.

The Jogbani checkpoint is not the main checkpoint of Rani in Biratnagar. He used to come through an alternative checkpoint built about 1 km west of the main checkpoint. “The main checkpoint is closed. We are not allowed to come and go,” he said. Although the main gate of Rani is deserted, there are crowds coming and going through the smuggling route.

The government has sealed the Rani Naka since Chaith 11, 2076, but there is a lot of traffic on the way to India.

People who come to India do not even use masks. According to Rishidev, people are coming to India from the south gate of Biratnagar Jute Mill at Biratnagar-16, Daraiya and Islampur located at Ward No. 15.

The armed forces stationed at the border and in front of the Nepal Police are openly coming and going to India every day. Those who try to go to India from the main customs checkpoint are shown a secret route by the security personnel stationed at the border.

According to locals, people come from the south gate of Biratnagar Jute Mill daily from 5 am to 8 pm. Locals estimate that around 200,000 people travel to and from India daily through thieves.

Binod Kumar Rasaili of Daraiya said that more than one lakh people travel to and from India daily. He said that the current rate of corona infection in India could be seen in Biratnagar as well. Binod said that the risk of infection in Biratnagar has increased due to the influx of people from the states where corona infection has spread in India.

Out of 63 kilometers of Morang, coming from the main checkpoint is continuing. The order of coming and going to India from small checkpoints like Tarigama, Sikti, Rangeli and other checkpoints is being done without checking and testing. Apparently, Rangeli’s Mian said that the risk of corona in the border area has increased as the flow of people coming and going from India has not been stopped. “If this situation continues, the infection will spread to Nepal as well,” he said.

Government control
No one seems to be in favor of testing from the health desk. As the number of people entering Nepal through smuggling is increasing, it is likely to affect the citizens of Nepal’s border areas. Anami Usha Mehta, who works at the health desk, said that the number of people coming through the integrated customs check post at Rani’s main checkpoint is only around 30 people daily.

Chief District Officer of Morang, Koshahari Niraula, said that there was a problem at the border as there were more people coming from Nepal to buy goods and returning in the evening than those coming from India.

A meeting of the CCMC district committee has also decided to tighten the border checkpoints in today’s discussion on the tightening of checkpoints in India after the second wave of carnage in India. Niraula claims that the uncontrolled movement of smugglers will be strictly controlled.

Morang Police Chief SP Santosh Khadka said that even though the main checkpoint was closed, people were coming from other places as an alternative. “Even though we are trying to stop it, the people have resisted,” he said.