Covid-free so far, Amreli prepares to stay that way

Gearing up for migrant rush
How administration, people deal with 1.5 lakh migrants returning home will determine if it will still remain only dist in State with 0 Covid case

By Nischal Sanghavi

Even as the number of Covid-19 cases in Gujarat touch 6,000, 32 out of the 33 districts in the state have positive cases. However, 47 days after the first coronavirus positive case was reported on March 19 in the state, Amreli is the only district, with a population of 17 lakh, without a single positive case so far. However, the worry is the return of the huge number of people from Ahmedabad and Surat.

The workers will be arriving in Amreli from the Covid-19 affected areas of Asarwa, Nicol, Bapunagar and Maninagar in Ahmedabad.

As per Amreli District Collector Ayush Oak, "In past 47 days we have received about 50,000 migrants. However we are expecting another 1.5 lakh in next few days. Every person will be screened before they enter Amreli. From 5,000 people now, the administration will raise quarantine facilities to accommodate 12,000 people across 22 locations."

The district had received 400 to 500 illegal migrants daily till now, Oak said. However, with government issuing passes to migrants from Tuesday, only legal migrants are expected to arrive now. The government doesn't give permission to people from containment area to migrate. Oak hopes that the protocol is strictly followed. "Our biggest fear is that if the administration issues passes to people in containment zone, it would be a disaster," he said.

As per Oak, whenever a migrant arrives, his pass will be validated first. The name in the list would be matched with the actual person. Then s/he will be medically screened, which includes checking his body temperature, SpO2, pulse rate. If need be, this will be followed by throat examination and BP check-up. Every person entering the district will be put in quarantine for 15 days. However, only after medical screening at the checkpoint, it would be decided if the person needs home quarantine or will be sent to a government facility. Moreover, each gram panchayat in the district will have committee of 5 people who will keep an inward register for migrants and one for quarantine. "Till now we have home quarantined about 10,000 people. The task will get difficult as we are expecting over 40,000 people to be home quarantined now. We are fully geared up, but the next few days will decide the fate of Amreli."

As per Lalit Thummar, Congress president, Amreli, "People of Amreli and administration have worked very hard and maintained discipline in the past one-and-half month. But, this decision of sending migrants may ruin the entire effort."

Naranbhai Kachhadiya, BJP Member of Parliament from Amreli said, "The main reason we don't have a single case is because we have sealed all the 90 roads that lead to Amreli. People have shown maturity during the lockdown. As Amreli falls in Green Zone, shops and industries have been allowed to open up. Shops have been numbered odd and even which operate on alternate days. As migrants come in, a well-managed total quarantine is the only solution."