E-Paper
Residents restrict entry to Gill village
Villagers stand guard at entry points in 24x7 shifts, maintain record of those visiting for emergency work in the village
Ludhiana With safety from the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on their mind, the panchayat of Gill village, around 7 km from here, has cordoned off the village and imposed restrictions on the entry of outsiders in the area that has a population of around 18,000.
The panchayat has permanently blocked five of the total seven entry points to the village and has stationed residents at the remaining two to keep a check on entry and exit of people. The villagers guard the entry points in 24x7 shifts, besides maintaining a register to record the identification and contact details of any outsider who is allowed entry in emergency cases.
Safety kits have also been provided to the residents who guard the entry points while maintaining social distancing.
Village sarpanch Harpreet Singh Mika Gill said, “The system has been in place for around a week now. Outsiders are allowed entry only for visiting the banks, or purchasing medicines from a medical store that caters to around 30 villages close-by. If any resident of the village needs to move outside in emergency case or for visiting the farms, I issue them the passes.”
TAKING NO CHANCES
The sarpanch said for essentials like milk, the villagers call up the supplier and collect the supply from them at the entry point. “There are five dairy units in the village that have been facilitated to sell the milk. The dairy owners supply the milk to outsiders at the entry point by maintaining social distancing,” he said.
He said the police also patrol the area daily to stop the residents from venturing out with focus on maintaining social distancing. “The panchayat and gurdwara in the village are distributing ration and flour to the needy,” he said.
Notably a few other villages including Shahpur village in Payal sub-division have also blocked the entry of outsiders.
SANITISATION FOR THE SECOND TIME
The sarpanch said they have handed over the list of around 25 NRIs who had come to the village before the lockdown. “The NRIs have been screened as per the directions of the administration. So far there is no suspected or confirmed case in the village,” he said, adding that they have received 70 litres of disinfectant from the administration, following which the village is being sanitised for the second time.
