Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 28 April 2021
Local Administration of Campbell Bay today called a meeting of Ex-PRIs and other local officers to make strategy on quarantining the passengers arriving by M.V Kalighat to the Island today. Earlier the local leaders and the Ex-PRIs had met Mrs. Lalita Tigga the Assistant Commissioner, In-Charge, Campbell Bay and had given her the suggestion of institutionally quarantining the passengers arriving by the ship in schools located in their respective villages.
It was also decided that the bedding and food required for quarantined passengers will be provided by their relatives. Ex-PRIs accordingly informed the general public and took their feedback. The general public of Campbell Bay was also happy with the decision as institutional quarantine would have curtailed the spread of the virus in the Island to a great extent, incase someone with the virus enters the Island undetected.
In the meeting today which was chaired by Aditya Kumar Jha, Assistant Commissioner (HQ), Nicobar District, Ex-PRIs raised the same demand of institutional quarantine of passengers in schools of their respective villages, which was later refused.
AC(HQ) was of the view that because of logistical difficulties, it is not possible for the Administration to institutionally quarantine the passengers and he recommended home quarantine of 7 days.
Ex-PRIs tried their level best to convince the AC(HQ) that institutional quarantine is the best option and it can be implemented with a little work, they also offered their full support to the administration for implementing the same.
AC(HQ) was also informed that it is the view of the general public of Campbell Bay, that the arriving passengers should be institutionally quarantined.
Finally after long discussion the AC(HQ) decided that it is difficult for the administration to implement institutional quarantine because of logistical difficulties and hence home quarantine is the only option.
Ex-PRIs also gave the AC(HQ) solutions to the problems that he was anticipating in institutionally quarantining the passengers, but their suggestions were not accepted and the decision was made.
The general public upon hearing the decision of the AC(HQ) regarding home quarantining of the arriving passengers, found it against their wish and some local leaders of communities also went to meet him to inform that they would implement institutional quarantine themselves for their community.
The Ex-PRIs while speaking to Nicobar Times after the meeting informed that the AC(HQ) has asked for the support of the PRIs and that they will happily help them in whatever way they can, but the responsibility will lie with the local administration and incase there is a spread of the virus only administration will be responsible for it.
They further added that they have conveyed the wish of the public to the AC(HQ) and tried to convince him multiple times in the meeting, that only institutional quarantine will effectively curtail the spread, but he has made up his mind to go with home quarantine.
Nicobar Times also spoke to several local leaders of different villages and all of them condemned the decision of the local administration to home quarantine the arriving passengers. The local leaders were of the view that home quarantine is not an effective tool for curtailing the spread of the virus, especially in the rural areas, where there are no separate toilets and rooms in every household to isolate the passengers.
The local leaders also informed that incase the virus spreads in Great Nicobar only local administration and its officers should be held responsible because they are adamantly implementing a decision which is being opposed by almost everyone.