Northeast States Seal Border with Assam due to Rising COVID-19 Cases

Guwahati, April 5, 2020:

Northeast States are now distancing themselves from Assam after a spurt of COVID-19 cases in the State following the Nizamuddin Markaz's religious congregation in Delhi.

Assam currently has 26 positive COVID-19 patients and owing to the fast spreading nature of the coronavirus, its neighboring States have decided to seal their borders connecting with Assam. This precautionary measure has come at a time when cases in the country have soared to 3030.

Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have sealed their interstate borders with Assam temporarily.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, during a meeting of COVID-19 preparedness in the State, strongly asked the officials to maintain the highest vigil along the interstate borders with Assam and Mizoram.

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“Except the goods laden trucks and freight trains, nothing should be allowed to enter Tripura from the neighbouring states and across the Bangladesh borders,” said Deb.

“We must be extra careful against the spread of the novel coronavirus as positive cases were found in Assam, Mizoram and Bangladesh. Tripura is so far free from the positive cases,” Deb stated.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the inter-district movements were already stopped by the Union Home Ministry. “The state government has asked district officials in the border areas to ensure that all the norms to fight against COVID-19 are strictly followed,” Sangma was quoted as saying.

It is to be noted here that although the State is monitoring the border areas, people from Guwahati and other parts of Assam have to pass through Meghalaya’s Shillong, Jowai and Khliehriat to go to southern Assam, comprising five districts.

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Neiphiu Rio-led Nagaland Government has already sealed the State’s borders with Assam along Wokha district (western Nagaland) with immediate effect, in the wake of increasing positive COVID-19 cases in Assam.

Deputy commissioner of Wokha district said that in the interest of public health and in consideration with the reports of positive cases in Assam and to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the border district, the order was made under the Epidemic diseases Act, 1897.

“The DC’s notification directed the sealing of all inter-state entry points of Assam except for movement of security forces and emergency medical services. It also ordered the supply of all essential commodities to be routed through Dimapur district. Any violators would be booked under under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” an official was quoted as saying in Kohima referring to the DC’s order.

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Mizoram, led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, has also tightened security along the interstate borders with Assam, Manipur and Tripura. Mizoram Deputy Inspector General (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said that security has been further tightened along the state borders with neighbouring states to check movement of people across the border.

All the check posts along the interstate borders, especially, in Vairengte and Bairabi on the Mizoram-Assam border and Mamit district along the state border with Tripura have been further alerted, said the police official, adding that additional security forces have also been deployed along the inter-state borders.

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During a COVID-19 review meeting, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu asked the police department to keep vigil on the porous border with Assam besides monitoring the 22 official entry gates to prevent any suspicious access.

It may be mentioned here that Assam is the gateway to the six other Northeastern states sharing 2,616 km borders with Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur (204.1 km), Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Assam, Mizoram and Manipur have 26, 1 and 2 COVID-19 cases respectively while the rest are yet to report any positive case.

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