A group of 10 Odia fishermen travelling from Chennai entered their native village in the Ganjam district amid the nationwide lockdown. On hearing about the incident, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange and his Puri counterpart Balwant Singh directed officials concerned to keep an eye on people trying to enter the district through the sea.
The SPs of Ganjam and Berhampur, along with the Coast Guard and BDOs of the coastal areas advised strict quarantine measures for people entering the district through the sea route. “Such persons should report themselves with the local sarpanch or send their names and travel details in Google docs format to the district administration”, said Kulange.
He also informed that all those undergoing quarantine for 14 days would be provided free food during the tenure. Upon completion, they would be provided with an incentive of Rs 2000.
Taking a similar stance, the Puri collector has also asked the Marine police officials to maintain a vigil on the coast. At a meeting with the fishermen of Pentakota village, the Collector requested them to inform the police and district officials if they come across such migrant workers.
The group of 27 fishermen from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh undertook a difficult journey from Chennai along the sea route to return to their native villages. They reached the Ganjam coastal border on Sunday. Out of the 10 based in Odisha, nine belong to Pati Sunapur in Chikiti block of Ganjam while another is from Gokharakuda in Krushnaprasad block of Puri district.