Amid coronavirus scare Mizoram, Manipur seal borders with Myanmar, B’desh

Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar and 318-km boundary with Bangladesh while Manipur has a 398-km long border with Myanmar.

Published on: Mar 10, 2020, 12:19:12 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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Mizoram and Manipur governments have ordered closure of the international boundary crossing points the states share with neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh as precautionary measures to prevent the possible spread of coronavirus.

Tamu, a border town in Myanmar is linked to Moreh in Manipur. (HT PHOTO)

Mizoram, which shares a 510-km border with Myanmar and 318-km boundary with Bangladesh, announced sealing of the borders on Monday after a meeting of senior officials convened by Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

Manipur followed suit soon and banned movement of people across the 398-km long border with Myanmar. Many people have been kept under observation in both Mizoram and Manipur but no positive case has been reported in either state.

“In view of possible threat of transmission of Coronavirus/Covid-19, Government of Manipur hereby prohibits movement of people across the international border,” said an order issued on Monday night by H Gyan Prakash, the state’s special secretary (home).

“Accordingly orders closure of Gate No.1, No.2, Moreh and other crossing points along Manipur section of the Indo-Myanmar border until further orders,” it added.

Moreh, in Manipur’s Chandel district is a border trading post and is linked to Tamu in Sagaing in northwest Myanmar by the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge.

Last week, two other Northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim temporarily banned the entry of foreigners to check the spread of coronavirus. Arunachal Pradesh shares borders with Bhutan, China and Myanmar while Sikkim has borders with China, Bhutan and Nepal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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