KARAIKAL: Coast Guard personnel are on a round the clock patrol to secure the maritime borders
and prevent unauthorised landing in the wake of lockdown.
“Our personnel are making sure that unauthorised vessels like boats from Sri Lanka,do not venture into our maritime borders,” said Commandant SR Nagendran, the Commanding Officer of Indian Coast Guard.
Vessels on patrol include fast interceptor boats and the offshore patrol vessels.
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Officials from Port, Customs, and Immigration reportedly go through the manifests of the ships that enter the maritime borders to analyse their entry purpose.
Karaikal Port administration said its landings of cargo ships and import of cargo would proceed as uninterrupted. “We are receiving mostly essential commodities as permitted by the central government. The cargos are unloaded from the ships as soon as they land. But, the people on-board would not be allowed to land. The ships are asked to leave after the good are unloaded,” said a senior official from Karaikal Port.
The port serves as the harbour for Indian Coast Guard vessels.
Indian Coast Guard officials stated that they also follow ‘Social Distancing’ at work. “There are a few staffs and personnel at the station to maintain theSocial Distancing advisory. They would assemble at the station within minutes when we call them in case of emergencies,” said a senior official.
Around 520 people from abroad, returned to Nagapattinam in the past two months and 450 people are currently quarantined. The health department said houses were pasted with stickers. Around 70 people were allowed to go.
The health services have sent four samples of those who showed symptoms of the virus, to Tiruvarur. Three results were COVID-19 negative, and one result is awaited.