By Nayak Paudel

Morang, Apr. 24: Since the enforcement of nationwide lockdown a month ago and limited people’s movement, roads across the country have been empty with only a few people coming out of their houses for essential services and goods.
With the manpower they have, the law enforcement agencies – Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army – have been deploying their staff to implement the lockdown effectively inside the country along with restricting cross-border movement across the open border with India.
In this context, the Ministry of Health and Population has revealed 47 confirmed cases among which more than half are from a single district – Udayapur. With worrying number of cases in the district, Udayapur has been sealed and lockdown is implemented more strictly.
However, in places where COVID-19 has not been detected, people are neither serious enough to remain indoors nor do they wear masks and keep distance. Among the places where people are yet to be serious, one is Pathari Shanishchare Municipality in Morang.
“Shops selling essential goods are allowed to open from 7-10 am every day. People’s movement increases during the period because more than one member of the family come out then and at other times of the day even when they have no essential work,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dilip Giri, chief of Area Police Office, Pathari.
While the East-West Highway running through Pathari Shanishchare Municipality is totally restricted for movement, the movement in the inner sections is not regulated.
“Since the cases tested positive for the virus were individuals entering Nepal through India, we have also focused on restricting the movement from the border side. Regarding the movement within the municipality, our team keeps patrolling throughout the day,” DSP Giri said.
According to concerned authorities responsible to implement the lockdown in an effective manner, it is up to the individuals residing in different parts of the municipality that they take the issue seriously before any case is detected.
“When I ask people why they are out, they say that COVID-19 hasn’t entered our village so there is nothing to worry about. Not everyone uses mask as well,” said Sagar Bhattarai, a local from Ward 4 of the municipality.
Every day people including neighbours and relatives living nearby gather for chitchat and to play ludo and cards in multiple families across the municipality. “It is not that many come out of their houses, but with one or two from each family, it leads to a gathering somewhere. It seems people are still waiting for confirmed cases in the area to follow the lockdown in the way it needs to be,” added Bhattarai.
According to police, with less manpower and a large area to monitor, they had been facing difficulties. However, with the help of some locals, they have been implementing the lockdown in different parts of the municipality.
“Different groups of locals have been implementing lockdown in their respective areas to facilitate us. The groups, under the community-police partnership initiative, disallow people and vehicular movement and inform us if they need support,” said DSP Giri.
Meanwhile, police have requested the public to observe the lockdown seriously and play an important role in not being a part of spreading COVID-19 even when no case has been reported in the area yet.