By Nayak Paudel

Kathmandu, Apr. 13: Security agencies have intensified surveillance along the Nepal-India border as the number of individuals testing positive for COVID-19, a global pandemic, is increasing in India.
The number of confirmed cases in India has surpassed 8,000 with more than 250 deaths. In Nepal, the number of cases has reached 12 with three new cases identified on Saturday.
On Saturday, three Indian nationals who were living in a mosque in Ward 2 of Birgunj Metropolitan City in Parsa district tested positive for the virus.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, they tested samples of 21 individuals residing suspiciously in the mosque. The ministry said to have started contact tracing by identifying the places where the three individuals had been to and the individuals they came in contact with.
“The individuals residing in the mosque and the ones testing positive had returned from a Jamaat in Saptari. They entered Nepal from India earlier,” said Superintendent of Police Ganga Pant, chief of Parsa District Police Office.
Many individuals have been suspected to have entered Nepal after attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi organised in mid-March. A worrying number of individuals who had participated at the Jamaat in New Delhi had tested positive for COVID-19 in India.
While the surveillance of cross-border movement across the open border with India was loose in the beginning of the lockdown, security agencies said they intensified it at the earliest and the monitoring of cross-border movement was efficient and effective recently.
“More than 7,000 officers have been deployed in the border with India. With lockdown imposed on the other side of the border as well, we have been coordinating with our counterparts and restricting the cross-border movement more effectively,” said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Prabin Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson for the Armed Police Force (APF).
The Armed Police Force in the respective district has sealed 101 km border stretch in Kailali and 60km stretch in Rupandehi which links with India.
Along with the APF, Nepal Police and Nepali Army have also been monitoring various border areas.
“More than 4,000 officers have been deployed for border security. The officers have been keeping watch in border areas through temporary tents 24/7,” said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Umesh Raj Joshi, spokesperson for Nepal Police.
Due to lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the market, security agencies have taught the officers to fashion it as well.
“We need to keep watch 24/7 and we cannot leave our responsibility citing lack of equipment. If available in market, we will deliver it to the officers and if not, they have been taught to make hand sanitizers and masks, among others,” said DIG Shrestha.
As the country shares an open border with India for 1,690km stretch, security agencies continue patrolling round the clock in between two pickets.
“With numbers of temporary pickets established along the border, foot patrolling along with vehicle patrolling is conducted timely by all the security agencies deployed in the border,” said SSP Joshi.
The security agencies have been supported by the locals as well regarding providing information of anyone suspicious. If any new individual enters a respective area, locals have been sharing the information of the new individual’s whereabouts to the local bodies or security agencies.
“Lockdown has been imposed for public safety and the security personnel have been implementing it by remaining at high risk. Public need to understand it is for them and support the security agencies and government at this hard time,” said SSP Joshi.