Home comers’ influx panics border people in the wake of COVID-19

MAHOTTARI: JAN. 11 – With the rising cases of coronavirus infection in various cities of a neighboring country, India, the Nepalis who went there for employment are returning home in large numbers now.

The border points at Mahottari district witnessed an influx of people returning home from Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Madras cities of India. Although the floods of people are entering Nepal, no record is maintained on their number.

The people are entering Nepal even via trails. The district shares a 38 km border with India. On both sides of the border, there are dense settlements.

Bus transportation is conducted in both sides of the border connecting Matihani, Bhittamor and Samsi. However, many people are using trails fearing that they would be frisked in the border points.

Lalan Kumar Singha from Manrasiwa Municipality of Mahottari district points to the settlement beyond the border and said, “The entry and exit is commonplace here. The village beyond the border is Gorhari of Sitamadi district of India. I don’t think our administration is keeping records of the influx.”

Similarly, Pabindra Raya from Halkhori shared that many people were using detours to enter Nepal fearing that they would be checked by security persons at border points. For lack of security check and coronavirus test, the spread of coronavirus in the border area is highly likely which has inflicted havoc among the people here.

Moreover, social activist Mohammad Imtiyaj from Samsi said, “Although it is not wise to disallow home comers, the entry points need to be managed well during the crisis to avoid the spread of coronavirus.” He worried why the health desk was not set up at border points.

-RSS