By Dhirendra Prasad Sah, Rajbiraj, July 29: Nepal Police in Saptari district has initiated an awareness campaign with a slogan 'Where is Your Mask?’ with a view to persuading people to put on mask while stepping out of their houses and thus control spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Tilak Bharati, spokesperson of the Saptari District Police Office, said, "The campaign has been started by the district police office under the police community partnership programme with an aim to inform and aware the public rather than punish them.”

The programme was launched amid a ceremony held at Rupani Chowk in Rupani Rural Municipality-1 in presence of Jay Kumar Ghimire, assistant Chief District Officer, as a chief guest, and chiefs of other security agencies, added Bharati.

He said that the campaign was also focused on making people aware about the legal provision related to wearing mask and the indefinite prohibitory orders issued by the district administration office considering the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the district.

123 has been arrested for not wearing masks in Saptari

Likewise, as many as 123 people have been arrested and fined Rs. 100 as a punishment for not wearing the facemask in the public area in Saptari .

The district administration office had two days ago issued a notice about taking action against people if they were found not wearing mask while in the public areas. The notice was issued to curb and prevent spread of the deadly virus. 

Ananda Thakur, officer at the district administration office, said an amount of Rs. 12,300 was collected from 123 individuals who violated the rules. The rule breakers were taken under control from places like Mahabir Sthan of Rajbiraj Nagar, Gajendra Chowk, Shahid Chowk, Rupani Mod, Kanchanroop Municipality. They were released after being fined.