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Bhubaneswar: Although the Odisha government has sealed all the entry points bordering neighbouring States, the coast guard has tightened coastal security apprehending possible ingress of migrants into Odisha through water route.
Keeping in view the rush of migrants to Odisha from high-risk states especially West Bengal where a triple mutant variant of Coronavirus is said to be the major reason of high caseload and mortality, the coast guard has beefed up its security and intensified coastal patrolling at 18 marine stations across the State, said coast guard ADG (Security) Pranabindu Acharya.
“Apart from strict checking at the marine stations, security has been heightened at the fish landing stations. Patrolling has been intensified and strict checking at every boat is being carried out. The Sagar Rakshak Dal has been alerted, who shares information with us regarding the migration through waterways,” Acharya said.
Top priority has been given to the coastal regions, he added. Night patrolling is also being conducted with the help of two-wheelers.
“Any boats found carrying migrants from outside the State would be seized and the travelers would be quarantined,” the coast guard ADG said.
Any boat found flouting norms would face strict action. Similarly, travelers using sea route would also face the music, he pointed out.
It is worth mentioning that Odisha government has sealed all the border points and intensified checking at the entry points. Travelers coming from other States will have to produce RT-PCR negative report, which must be done within last 48 hours. Else, they have to show final vaccination certificate before entering the State.
Currently, a large number of migrant workers are seen coming to their native places in Odisha from Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and others apprehending possible shutdown amid a rising trend in the covid-19 positive cases.
Last year, in a desperate bid, a number of migrants workers had returned to Odisha from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu after traversing around hundreds of kms on sea amid country-wide lockdown.
