TURA: Authorities in Meghalaya had closed all entry points into the state with effect from midnight of July 23 for eight days to give a breather to the surveillance teams hard at work checking and testing arrivals and also to prevent any possible carriers of the novel corona virus from gaining access into the region which has been witnessing a sudden spike since the past two weeks.
Shockingly, despite announcements of the closure and a lockdown of the entry points, there continues a string of fresh arrivals, many of whom apparently have managed to evade the authorities. Two entry points into the region- Berubari in Bajengdoba of North Garo Hills and Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills were supposed to have been under seal during the current lockdown.
Inspite of stringent checks, illegal entry continues to be detected regularly during the lockdown.
On Tuesday, authorities had to file a police complaint against a youth who came from Guwahati and illegally entered Garo Hills by passing Berubari entry point by using another road through Agia-Rongsai which apparently has not been kept under proper surveillance.
He was detected after villagers in Anogre alerted authorities of his arrival.
In fact, locality surveillance has proved to be a major boon for the government in the fight against COVID-19 as alert residents quickly pass on information about any new arrival into their areas from outside.
Another entry route that apparantly is being breached by people from neighbouring Assam is said to be the Mir Jumla-Garobadha route through which some people have been illegally coming over on foot and later hitching a ride on passing vehicles.
Just this week, two brothers who make their living as street hawkers managed to sneak into Tura without getting caught.
They are said to have crossed over from the red zone town of Mankachar.
When confronted by other hawkers who spotted them in town, they tried to pass off as having arrived from Tikrikilla, despite residing in Mankachar. With surveillance teams hot on their trail, both fled from their rented place above SC Das petrol pump, jumped into a public transport vehicle heading back towards Garobadha.
With alert citizens playing their part, authorities have been able to spread the surveillance network to a wider area in the Garo Hills.
