Central armed forces in Odisha pull up socks to protect personnel from Covid-19

Debabrata Mohapatra | TNN | May 5, 2020, 11:45 IST

BSF personnel in Odisha undergoing thermal screening

BHUBANESWAR: The Central armed police forces, especially border security force (BSF), central reserve police force (CRPF), central industrial security force (CISF) and Indo Tibetan border police (ITBP) in Odisha have stepped up their preparedness to keep their campuses and personnel free from Covid-19 virus after some of their colleagues were tested positive in Delhi and other states.
Currently, nobody from the Central armed forces has been tested positive in Odisha. BSF and CRPF have heavy deployments in Naxal-affected districts to carry out anti-Maoist operations whereas ITBP has its sector headquarter at Khurda. At present ITBP does not have any force deployment in Odisha.
“We are alert to the Covid-19 positive infection of some of our personnel in Delhi and Tripura. BSF has taken adequate precautions to ensure the safety of its personnel in Odisha. We are conducting thermal screening of all our staffs entering the sector office in Khurda as well as the campuses of eight battalions in Odisha,” BSF deputy inspector general and chief public relations officer Sukumar Sarangi said.
Around 10,000 BSF troops have been deployed in anti-Maoist operations in worst affected Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur districts. “We regularly carry area sanitization by spraying disinfectant. Special quarantine centres have been set up for troops coming from leave. Regular handwashing drill is being conducted in the campus. Troops are being given lectures on Covid-19,” Sarangi said. BSF has drawn accolades from locals in the Maoist-infested regions for providing food, face masks and hand sanitizers among tribals in the inaccessible areas.
CRPF that currently has 8 battalions in Odisha to combat left-wing extremism said health and wellbeing of their personnel is being accorded priority. “We have adopted all necessary precautions prescribed by the Centre. All our personnel are safe in Odisha,” CRPF’s inspector general (Odisha sector) SK Mohanty said.
Even though flight operations have remained suspended at Biju Patnaik International Airport here now, the CISF said they have not left anything to chance. “Our personnel continue to do their duty at the airport. They have been maintaining social distancing and following our standard operating procedures to keep themselves healthy and fit,” a CISF official said.
The sprawling 120 Infantry Battalion (territorial army) campus in Bhubaneswar has been isolated from outside and movement of outsiders completely restricted. Battalion commanding officer Colonel DD Swain said regular monitoring of health state of troops is being done regularly. Bulk purchase of provisions for people living in the campus has been made so that they don't have to go to the market, Colonel Swain said.