PARADIP: With COVID-19 cases rising alarmingly, heightened patrolling along the coast of Odisha to prevent entry of people from neighbouring states has become a cause of concern for the police force.
Crippled with inferior infrastructure and lack of manpower, the marine police stations in Jagatsinghpur district have a daunting task at hand.
Preventing entry of people from neighbouring states, particularly West Bengal where a highly infectious mutant of the virus has been detected, is a priority for the district administration.
Since the State borders with WB have been sealed, it is anticipated that people from the neighbouring State may enter Odisha through sea.
Under such circumstances, the marine police stations in the district are reportedly ill-equipped. The Jatadhari marine police station, which is functioning from Noliasahi in Gudakujang panchayat in Erasama block, has only eight staff of which four are deployed on patrolling duty at Sandhakuda. The police station is functioning 25 km away from areas under its jurisdiction.
Jatadhari IIC Bijay Kumar Beck said the personnel cover 25 km by road to reach Sandhakuda from where they venture into the sea for patrolling.
What’s worse is that the police station has not yet been given an interceptor required for effective patrolling of the sea. Similar is the plight of Paradip marine police station which has only one interceptor at its disposal. This apart, the Bandar marine police station does not have an interceptor and adequate staff.
Sources said several labourers working at IOCL refinery had gone to West Bengal to cast their votes in the Assembly elections.
They returned four days back and it is alleged neither the Health department nor the district administration have any details about the workers.