Karnataka digs up roads on Kerala border to stop people from coming amid Covid 3rd wave fear
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Karnatka :Even after imposing strict travel restrictions on people from Kerala, the inflow of people crossing the state border on foot or on two-wheelers remains unhindered as police officials find it humanly impossible to stop every people from coming and that's why earthmovers have been deployed at specific border areas to dig up the road so people from bordering villages, bikers can't cross over, reports said. The work has begun on Monday which also faced the resistance of the local people. As Karnataka police deployed an earthmover on the Kotekar-Mariashram church road bordering Kasaragod in Kerala. Kasaragod Congress leader said the area where the digging was going on is in Kerala and that's why they protested.
The sudden rise of Covid-19 infections in Kerala has spread fresh apprehension in Karnataka as Karnataka too is witnessing a spike since the last week of July. The case positivity rate in the state is around 1.10 per cent far below the danger mark, but the state government has already extended some Covid-19 restrictions. The bordering districts of Dakshin Kannada are at greater risk, while Bengaluru authorities have also imposed night curfew and Section 144 till August 16.
This is not the first time that Karnataka and Kerala are clashing over border restrictions. Kerala chief minister PinarayiVijayan on Thursday said in the state Assembly that according to the orders issued by the Union home ministry, states should not close their borders. Kerala DGP Anil Kant contacted Karnataka DGP over border restrictions.
There are 12 check posts in Karnataka-Kerala border where proper checking of entry with negative RT-PCR report can be done. People are coming to Karnataka frm Kerala through unmanned areas and that's why the number of Covid-19 infections in Dakshin Kannada is proportionately higher than Bengaluru, though the population is less, officials said.
