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No roads between Kerala and Karnataka dug up: Dakshina Kannada DC
Rajendra told HT that strict instructions have been given to officials not to block the traffic between the two states. He, however, added that the district administration will continue strict vigil across the border and continue to demand RT-PCR reports.
The Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district Rajendra KV on Friday denied reports that the district administration had dug up roads near the Kerala-Karnataka border to block the entry points from neighbouring Kerala’s Kasaragod district to prevent unchecked ingress amid fear of Covid third wave.
Rajendra told HT that strict instructions have been given to officials not to block the traffic between the two states. He, however, added that the district administration will continue strict vigil across the border and continue to demand RT-PCR reports.
AKM Ashraf, a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, representing Manjeshwaram, a town on the Karnataka Kerala border, too confirmed that none of the roads between Karnataka and Kerala have been blocked. He, however, added that on Monday, Karnataka police deployed an earthmover to dig a trench on the Kotekar-Mariashram Church Road near Thalappady check post. “It was stopped after residents protested. We haven’t heard of anything after that,” he said.
DC Rajendra said he has not received any report of roads being dug up. “If anyone faces any such instances of roads being blocked, they can contact us. There are clear instructions not to stop a vehicular movement. However, those who want to enter Karnataka will have to produce an RT-PCR test report,” he said.
For the residents of Kasaragod in Kerala, Mangaluru city in Dakshina Kannada is a lifeline. Even though Mangaluru and Kasaragod are on either side of a map, they are closely knit, say local residents. “Mangaluru, which is referred to as Mangalapuram in Kerala, is the closest city to Kasaragod. From anywhere in Kasaragod, Mangaluru is just 10-50 km away. At the same time, the closest city in Kerala, Kannur, is more than 100 km away,” said Prakash Manjeshwar, a resident of Manjeshwaram, in the northern tip of Kasargod.
The residents in and around Kasaragod have been thronging Mangaluru for decades for health care services at the speciality hospitals and for education. “Kasaragod doesn’t have many good hospitals, schools or colleges. So Mangaluru is the only option for us. People in and around Kasaragod had struggled a lot during the initial days of the lockdown when the Karnataka authorities restricted travel, especially for those with medical conditions,” said Krishna Kishore, who runs a business in Mangaluru and lives in Kasaragod.
As per the Karnataka government orders, those travelling regularly to Karnataka for work have to take the RT-PCR test once in seven days, while for others, the report can’t be older than 72 hours. “We are very clear that anyone coming to Dakshina Kannada for medical emergencies will not be stopped at any cost,” said Rajendra.
However, Kishore added that even the requirement for the RT-PCR test is causing trouble. “First of all, it is very difficult to get an RT-PCR test done in Kerala because of the rise in cases. Over that, it costs a lot of money. For many of us, paying for a test every week is very costly. Especially, since our businesses were close due to the recent lockdown,” he said.
Rajendra, however, argued that the district administration doesn’t have a choice but to impose such restrictions. “While the positivity rates in all other districts in Karnataka are coming down, it is going up only in Dakshin Kannada. We can’t find any other reason for this spike other than interstate travel. We are not stopping essential travel such as medical treatment or work. But we can’t have people coming to Mangaluru to visit malls and do other non-essential work. So, the checks will continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to a health bulletin released by the Dakshina Kannada district authorities on Wednesday, 411 positive cases were reported and the positivity rate stood at 4.07%.
