By our Correspondent, Mahottari, Apr. 24: A large number of the Armed Police Force (APF) personnel has been deployed at Nepal-India border points in Mahottari district for full implementation of nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to combat COVID-19.

Nirkrishna Shrestha, Superintendent of Police at APF Jalsagar said, "We used to deploy 150 APF personnel in normal days but now 450 personnel have been deployed at the border to restrict flow of people."

"Although Mahottari is at 36 Km distance from the Nepal-India border, people have been traveling across the border through thief walkthroughs," said Shrestha. "We have completely stopped people's movement by deploying additional police forces."

He said that since the vehicles carrying food supplies had been entering through main customs entry point, life of APFs wwas at risk.

Likewise,Girendra Kumar Jha, COVID-19 focal person at District Public Health Office, Mahottari, said that the vehicles had been entering Nepal from customs entry point without any safety precautions.

Jha stressed on need of sanitising the vehicles to prevent entry of COVID-19 infection.

"The vehicle drivers and conductors coming from COVID-19 infected areas are only checked with thermal guns at Bhithamod," said Jha. "The concerned stakeholders must address the need of adopting safety measures at border points."

"Health of security workers, police, officials and health workers at help desks have been in danger due to the vehicles entering Nepal form various affected states of India," added Jha.

Ajaya Thakur, Health assistant at help desk, said, "Daily, around 50 people enter Nepal from about 15 cargo vehicles and other vehicles."

Thakur said that they were not equipped with any safety equipments other than thermal gun and sanitiser to prevent COVID-19 spread from people entering Nepal from India.

We are not equipped even to check their health condition, he added.

However, Keshav Bhandari, Chief of Bhithamod Customs Office said, "We have been disinfecting vehicles entering Nepal carrying food supplies with bleaching powder."

Bhandari said that health condition of people entering and leaving Nepal was compulsorily examined..