Border patrol: Patton says adequate protection at gates

Drug peddlers using porous border to sneak in and out of Assam worry Wokha public and leaders alike

Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 26 (EMN): Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland Y Patton, who is also the Home Minister, on Saturday said that the government has sent “sufficient” police personnel to man the entry gates at the border areas shared with its neighbouring states and countries.

During his visit to Ralan block in Wokha district to take stock of the Covid-19 preparedness in the area, Patton said, “we are sending sufficient jawan” to all the entry points, keeping in mind the border areas coming under disturbed area belt (DAB).

Patton, who is also the minister-in-charge of Wokha district, inspected almost all the border areas in the district, besides inspecting Covid-19 hospitals and health centres.

On reports of drug peddling and other illegal activities in the border areas, particularly in Wokha district, he said that the government is “on the job” to curb such elements.

Further, he asked the district administration, village leaders and NGOs to work together and take strict measures against such activities.

Advisor to Horticulture and Border Affairs, Mhathung Yanthan assured that all the entry points were completely sealed.

“However, keeping in view of the ‘long porous border’, there is no full proof measure. Nagaland shares an interstate border stretch of 512 km with Assam, which is sub judice at the moment, and guarded by neutral force,” he added.

‘One of the main concerns is drug peddlers who are using the forest passages (uncovered areas) to cross borders. In order to check such activities along the borderline, the administration is involving the service of civil society, village volunteers, and individuals,’ he said,

Advisor to IT, Science and Technology, NRE, Mmhonlumo Kikon informed that the district administration was working efficiently and managing the sealing of the border.

“We re-strategised with the villages to ensure that no drug-addicts go out of the village to cross the border, and lockdown is implemented effectively,” he said.

Among the community, it is feared that the drug users, who are finding a way to sneak in and out through the porous borders, could be carriers of the virus, thereby posing as a threat to the community.

Five of them were caught initially and quarantined at the Bhandari NAP hospital. After the 14-day quarantine period, they were found to be asymptomatic of the virus, but were suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

It was understood that the help of experts for drug de-addiction and rehabilitation was required, and the chief medical officer was asked to provide support accordingly.

‘We apprehended some drug users who went (to Assam) and came and they are still in quarantine’, Kikon added.

He said that according to a report from the department of Health and Family Welfare, Baghty town alone had 555 drug-addicts and in Bhandari, there were 624.

“The figures indicate that even if it is not so high, the prevalence is alarming. If they are not properly taken care of, they run a risk of being infected due to the high incidences of drug users using the porous border to cross over to Assam in search of substances,” the legislator said.

MLA Dr. Chumben Murry also raised concern over the porous borders particularly in Wokha district, following Covid-19 positive cases reported from Assam.

‘This particular stretch (Ralan area) of the border had been neglected for a long period of time,’ he pointed out. Murry appreciated the performances of the police, administration, and public for their participation.

Deputy Commissioner of Wokha Orenthung Lotha pointed out that the district comprised of four sectors (B,C,D,E) with a total stretch of around 80 km. Therefore, they are taking the help of the village council wherever there is no police presence in some border areas. As for the essential commodities, he said that they had stopped taking from Merapani (main supply).

He said that Wokha has “many drug users” and these people try to sneak in from the forest area.

Therefore, a village task force was formed and with the help of the task forces and volunteers, they are trying to control the drug peddlers and users from going to the other side of the border, he added.

Sub-divisional officer and Border Magistrate of Ralan, Meyazungba Jamir said that there is no proper demarcation of border in the area. There are 12 villages in the plain sector and Assam villages surround most of them, he added.

‘Given this fact, it is very difficult to maintain complete lockdown,’ Jamir said.

He also highlighted the challenges in identifying the drug peddlers due to ‘leaky border area’. To tackle such an issue, they are taking the help of the village councils, youth organisations and women to report to them if any of the members goes missing even for a few hours.

‘They will be arrested and released but kept under quarantine for 14 days. Since there is no doctor in the Ralan area, nurses posted in the area check on them on a daily basis and report it to authorities concerned,’ he said.

So far, seven persons (drug peddlers) have been arrested and released, and are under quarantine in the Ralan area. Three of them completed their quarantine period on Saturday. However, he said that even after sending them home, they will be made to stay indoors for another ten days, and make sure that they don’t move out of the village till it is deemed safe.