MYSURU: Chamarajanagar district, which was considered jinxed by politicians till recently and tainted as Veerappan’s backyard, has turned into a role model for the state with not a single Covid-positive case reported since the pandemic set in. The district has achieved the feat despite being sandwiched between hotspots like Erode district of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Nanjangud, which had a flurry of cases at Jubilant Pharma Company. It now stands with Diu and Daman and Lakshadweep islands, which have had no positive cases.
Though the district administration took the initiative early and closed its interstate borders, wildlife sanctuaries and temples, the achievement is mainly due to the efforts of village heads and the general population. Village heads and community leaders warned that fines up to `20,000 would be levied if anyone went to work and loaded agriculture produce to trucks from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They also closed roads leading to their villages and youths patrolled round the clock, reporting to the police and revenue officials any intrusion of outsiders.
The officials also managed to round up migrants and put them in quarantine. Ravi suspended policemen and revenue officials for letting in interstate vehicles and saw to it that all the employees of Jubliant Pharma from Chamarajanagar district were quarantined at Ambedkar Bhavan, district hospitals and hostels. Doctors and paramedics collected 2,341 swabs and employed Asha workers to conduct door-to-door health tests to identify Covid suspect cases.
If anyone was found with symptoms, pharmacists delivered medicines at their doorsteps. The administration took up works under the National Employment Guarantee scheme providing employment to 51,393 persons while distributing foodgrains and essentials to tribals and villagers. District in-charge Minister Suresh Kumar camped here and worked with officials, who launched the “Evergreen Chamarajanagar” initiative to ensure that the entire population was educated about social distancing and hygiene. DHO M C Ravi said all the samples are negative and 132 people are under quarantine.
Strict vigil
Deputy Commissioner M R Ravi closed the inter-district and interstate borders and ensured the checkposts
were monitored strictly. Also, the forest department blocked all the roads and paths inside the forest to
stop migrants reaching villages trekking through the forest.