SHILLONG: The Dorbar Shnong of Mawlai Phudmuri has set an example for others in strictly adhering to protocols and managing the situation arising out of COVID-19.
From punishing people without masks and ensuring physical distancing, the Dorbar has a role to play.
During a visit to the area on Sunday, the headman of Mawlai Phudmuri, Silvester Kurbah told The Shillong Times that it has also encouraged institutional quarantine instead of home quarantine fearing that people would venture out.
“We do not encourage people for home quarantine. Our society is not disciplined also. Some of them live in rented houses. At the institutional quarantine centre, there is better access to toilets, bathrooms”, he said.
He informed that there are two quarantine centres separately for males and females. The Phudmuri Presbyterian High School is for the males and Sacred Heart HS School is for the females.
There are already people under quarantine –two are from Tamil Nadu and one is from GNRC, Gawahati while some are yet to arrive from Karnataka and Chandigarh.
To ensure that the quarantined persons do not go out, the centre is kept under lock and key. The quarantine centre is being checked by the VDPs. A doctor and an ASHA worker also visit the quarantined persons.
Speaking about the plight of the ASHA workers, Kurbah said, “The ASHA workers are doing an excellent job. Government is doing injustice to them. It should give something to the ASHA workers”.
Mawlai Phudmuri has a population of 4035 and the number of households is 787. The locality has sufficient water which includes house connection and public taps. The population also consists of daily wage labourers and some are maids.
The locality ensures that residents strictly follow the government advisory to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“There are two perennial springs and the maids come out as early as 5 am. Due to the lockdown, we have made a routine wise arrangement to ensure that there is no rush in the washing centres”, he said.
The locality never allows the residents to venture out without wearing masks and the violators are asked to do sit-ups. So far, 50 persons were punished.
“We try to discipline the people. Loitering is also not allowed. Some of the people would come from outside in inebriated state. As a Dorbar, we patrol the whole locality to show that everything goes fine”, he said. During the time when shops are allowed to open, the Dorbar Shnong functionaries would monitor the situation to ensure that the protocol of social distancing and wearing of masks is maintained.
“If there is any violation, we will close the shop. We have also informed the shopkeepers that nothing should be given to the buyer who comes without a mask”, he said.
In an exemplary act, Kurbah said the locality residents have donated money for corona purpose to the Dorbar Shnong.
“We have constituted a relief committee wherein lots of people donated cash and it is now Rs 60,000 which will be utilised for corona purpose”, he said adding that it has been a practice of the Dorbar Shnong to give a financial report every year.
To a query, he said that the local MLA and MDC have helped the locality. The Dorbar Shnong will start the third phase of distributing essential commodities to the needy families.
“We are trying to help families with no ration cards. Time and again, we have requested the government department to include them but it is taking time”, he said. As for payment of rent, he said that it is as per the negotiation between the house owners and the tenants since there are some house owners who earn a living from rent.
Kurbah informed that assistance was given to 10 families who are poor and appreciated the considerate nature of the residents who he said are not greedy.
“They are not greedy. When they feel that they have enough, they would tell the respective Rangbah Dong to give the essentials to the needy and they will call the Rangbah Dong only when they need any help”, he added.
