KATHMANDU: The country has been impacted by the outbreak of the Covid-19 for more than four months. While the country is mostly deserted due to the lockdown, Nepal-India border checkpoints have been tightened to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The government has increased surveillance to prevent illegal entry through the border with India, and the details of people entering Nepal from India despite restrictions are being made public.
The presence of the armed forces at the border has increased after the cabinet meeting held on Monday decided not to open international checkpoints until mid-August. Since then, the government has opened 10 entry points for people to enter the country from India.
The Armed Police Force (APF), which has already been given the responsibility of border security, has been fulfilling its assigned responsibilities, although it continues to face many challenges such as limited resources.
Similarly, the APF has been conducting quarantine and health check-ups at the border checkpoints in coordination with local representatives and in accordance with the policy of the Government.
With an increase in the rate of those infected by the virus, the risk of transmission has also grown among security personnel deployed to various quarantine centers and border checkpoints.
Armed Police Deputy Inspector General and Spokesperson Raju Aryal said that the risk of infection among the security personnel has increased due to encounters between people and security personnel long before the testing results are confirmed positive.
184 people in the Armed Police Force have tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the lockdown.
Deputy Inspector General of the Armed Police Aryal said that the number of infections has been seen in various districts. Of the infected, 119 have been discharged and 65 are still undergoing treatment.
The current infected patients are from provinces 1, 2 and 3. Out of the 65, five are undergoing treatment at the Armed Police Hospital in Kathmandu. In addition to the rapid spread of the virus across the country, floods, landslides, and other natural calamities are also causing huge losses of lives and property.
In response, the government has set up a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to take necessary action after the floods in the Terai and landslides in the hilly areas during the rainy season.
However, even if the government makes necessary arrangements for disaster risk reduction before the onset of the rainy season, the risk is still high.
For the same reason, the government has formed the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to identify vulnerable areas throughout the year, prepare action plans for precaution, coordinate among stakeholders, and develop disaster forecasting systems for floods and landslides.
Rescue and relief efforts have also been challenged this time around due to Covid-19.
In view of all these circumstances, NEA has delivered rescue and relief materials to all the districts to assess the possible risks.
As this will be possible only through the joint efforts of all the federal ministries, local governments, District Disaster Management Committees, provincial governments and all the partner organizations for disaster risk reduction, NEA has accordingly prepared a precaution and response plan.
Spokesperson Aryal told Kathmandupati that the Armed Police Force has mobilized skilled manpower by providing them with the necessary training and equipment to deal with the natural calamities and has instructed them to be in a position to be deployed at any time.
He also informed that adequate health supplies including PPE, masks, gloves and sanitizers have been provided to the police personnel deployed at the border areas.
