Bihar: Drones maintain strict vigil in border areas

Ramashankar | TNN | Updated: Apr 13, 2020, 12:36 IST

<p>Representative image<br></p>

PATNA: The vigil along the borders with neighbouring states and Nepal has been intensified and drones were pressed into service to keep an eye on the movement of people and goods vehicles following spike in the positive Covid-19 cases in Siwan and other districts.
Senior officials of border districts like Kaimur, Siwan, Gopalganj and Saran said the numbers of temporary police outposts and police personnel and magistrates has been increased in the border areas. “Temporary police outposts have been set up to check the movement in the border areas,” Kaimur district magistrate Nawal Kishore Choudhary said on Sunday.
Choudhary said all entry points have been sealed and CCTVs installed at two places near Chand — one each on NH-2, Baraura and Devadiha — to check entry of vehicles from UP side. Apart from police and magistrates, medical teams have also been deputed there for screening of the driver and conductors of goods vehicles.
Drones have also been pressed into service to keep a close eye on the movement of people in the villages close to the border, he said. “Some people still sneak into nearby villages. We don’t want to take any chance. So we have completely sealed all roads even in remote areas,” the DM said.
Gopalganj DM Arshad Aziz said all the roads leading to UP border from Gopalganj have been barricaded. Police personnel and magistrates were working in three shifts. Additional barricades were erected near Bahadurpur, Ahiraul Daan, Dibai, Kotnar Harwa, Chaitanpatti, Dumaria and Rampur Bangra villages.
The DM on Sunday issued directives to the officials concerned to enforce the lockdown strictly. Circle officer Anil Kumar said the roads linking Gopalganj with Siwan have been sealed and vehicles carrying essential commodities and having permits and valid passes were only allowed to enter the district limits.
Siwan DM Amit Kumar Pandey also visited a few places close to UP border. Siwan district NCC incharge Major Kailash Pati Goswami said the NCC cadets would be roped in to assist the district authorities in maintaining social distancing to check the spread of the deadly virus.
The decision to deploy NCC cadets was taken after the reports poured in from some places that social distancing was not being maintained and it posed a serious challenge to the authorities. “The cadets with full safety kits will be deployed in banks and local markets,” Goswami added.
The roads leading to East Champaran, Saran, Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur have already been sealed. While 29 people from Siwan have tested positive for Covid-19, Gopalganj has registered only three cases so far. Panjwar in Siwan is stated to be the corona hotspot in Bihar.
Siwan DM said six containment zones have been created to ensure complete lockdown in the district. “The situation is being monitored on a regular basis. Officials posted at the control room have been assigned to get updates from time to time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the SPs of Sitamarhi and Purnia have intensified patrolling in the villages close to Nepal border to check the influx of people from the neighbouring country. “We have taken all precautionary measures to check the entry of people from Nepal into Indian territory,” Sitamarhi SP Anil Kumar said.