COVID-19 lockdown: People living along Kasaragod border struggle to get medical assistant

As the state of Karnataka went under lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, people living on along the bordering villages of Kerala's Kasaragod are struggling to get medical assistant.

Kasaragod :People living along the bordering villages of Kerala's Kasaragod are badly hit with the national lockdown in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Karnataka State has allegedly blocked all the roads along the border with heaps of soil in such a way that no one can pass through even by walk.

Karnataka State Government has closed Kottiyadi Panjodi Road that connects Delampadi to Eeswaramangalam, Mayyala Panjodi Road, Noojibettu Road, and Sullya Mandakkol Road as part of the lockdown measures. All the connecting roads have been blocked and are totally closed.

With this, the people living in panchayats closer to Karnataka State border are literally isolated. As the roads connecting these villages crisscrossing both states, they are now unable to enter even to their home state of Kerala for medical help or to procure essentials. The health officials or the police cannot reach out to them even in case of a medical emergency.

The only access to certain panchayats along the border like Delampady and Enmakaje has been the roads within Karnataka State border. All the three parts of Delampady Panchayat are within Karnataka border. The area to the East and West of Cherkala to Jalsur interstate road that passes through Delampady Panchayat is also in Karnataka State.

The people of this region mainly depend on the shops and medical facilities in Eeswaramangalam and Gali Mugham in Karnataka for their day - to - day requirements and medical help.

Even as the state intensifies its fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the people living along the Karnataka border are left isolated to deal with the challenges all by themselves, with no access to medical help and essentials.