Hailakandi administration on war footing for creating additional quarantine centres

May 27: With stranded people returning in droves, the Hailakandi district administration is making arrangements on a war footing to keep them under quarantine across the district. Deputy Commissioner, Megh Nidhi Dahal is touring different parts of the district to oversee the arrangements where additional quarantine centres are being set up in government buildings and institutions.

Besides, the six notified quarantine centres namely, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Lala Rural College, ALC College, DIET, PK Girls’ HS School and Adarsha Vidyalaya, the administration is setting up additional centres at the newly constructed polytechnic, HPC Guest House, Power Grid Guest Hpuse, Prashanti Tourist Lodge, Model School and other buildings and institutions. It has also identified some hotels and lodges in Hailakandi, Lala and elsewhere in case the need arises.

Deputy Commissioner, Dahal disclosed that around 24,000 people of Hailakandi district stuck in different parts of the country have applied under the Assam CARES. “We have cross checked and verified around 24,000 people of our district in distress who have had applied under Assam CARES initiative. More people are returning in droves to the district in the next few days. Since they are our people, we have to facilitate their stay in quarantine facility,” said Dahal.

The district has kept in readiness over 1,000 beds and mattresses for accommodating incoming people. 435 persons are under institutional quarantine as on Tuesday evening. Additional sanitary toilets are being constructed in some quarantine centres for the convenience of the inmates. 10 new toilets have come up at ALC College at Algapur and at JNV Monacherra quarantine centres.

Besides, quarantine management committee has been formed in all the three LACs namely Hailakandi, Algapur and Katlicherra for setting up institutional quarantines in schools and other institutions. Deputy Commissioner Dahal held meetings with the three MLAs and urged them to keep in readiness the centres to accommodate the incoming people in their respective constituencies. “in view of more and more people coming home, we have to think in terms of community participation to tide over the situation,” said Dahal.

In a significant development, the administration has converted the SK Roy Civil Hospital into a COVID-19 hospital. The PWD, Silchar Building Division has asked the contractor to complete the repair and renovation of the 100-bedded hospital within seven days in view of the COVID-19 situation. Meanwhile, swab samples of 86 passengers arriving by train and flight were collected at the inbound passenger facilitation centre at Dholeswari on Tuesday. Two passengers each from Hailakandi and Cachar districts and six from Karimganj arrived at Kumbhirgram Airport in Silchar.

Health authorities here disclosed that 13 persons of Hailakandi district have tested COVID-19 positive and they are presently undergoing treatment in Silchar and Guwahati. One succumbed to COVID-19 infection. Of the total 1,150 swab samples taken, 1,048 have turned out to be negative while results of 88 are awaited.