Bhatkal: Due to the nationwide lockdown that has been going on for more than the last 40 days, laborers have been badly stuck in various cities and states, while many Bhatkal students and employees who had been to Bangalore and other cities for work are unable to reach their hometown and are in severe distress due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Meanwhile, at the end of Lockdown 2.0, the state government provided bus service to enable people stranded in Bengaluru to reach their hometowns. Hundreds of Bhatkal citizens also boarded buses and left for Bhatkal from Bengaluru. But it has been reported that due to the declaration of health emergency in Bhatkal, they have not been allowed to enter inside Bhatkal city and all of them have been quarantined in Murdeshwar.
According to reports, the state government had provided free access to KSRTC buses to people stranded in Bengaluru, on which people from different cities left for their respective areas within Karnataka. Hundreds of Bhatkal people also boarded in three buses and left for Bhatkal. It is reported that the first bus left from Bengaluru at 11 AM on Tuesday. At around 8 PM, the bus reached Gersoppa in Honnavar taluk, which comes in the borders of Uttara Kannada district. It is also reported that the bus was stopped in Gersoppa forest area and was not allowed to proceed.
According to the Passengers, their bus was stopped in a forest where there was high chances of wild animals including lions could come on the roads at night. There was no provision for food, which caused severe inconvenience. Two or three hours later, all the passengers were medically screened, and then the bus was left at 11 PM and reached Honnavar at around 1 AM. Once again, all the passengers were medically screened and at around 3 AM, all of them were kept in a hostel in Honnavar. After having breakfast at the Honnavar hostel, they were brought to Murdeshwar at 11 AM on Wednesday. At about 1 PM in the afternoon, everyone arrived at a school in Murdeshwar, and were asked to quarantine.
On learning the situation, Bhatkal MLA Sunil Naik reached Murdeshwar, and after discussing with Assistant Commisoner Mr. Bharat, around 28 people hailing from Mavalli-1, Mavalli-2, Bailur, Kaikani, Mavinkatte and Shirali were allowed to go to their homes after sealing them with 14 days of home quarantine. However, the people of Bhatkal town including Jali Pattan Panchayat, Mundalli and Heble coming within the limits of Bhatkal containment zone were not allowed to go to Bhatkal, and have been sealed with 14 days of quarantine.
On this occasion, Majlise Islah Wa Tanzeem General Secretary Abdul Raqib MJ Nadvi, Muhammad Sadiq Matta, Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation President Imtiyaz Udyawar, General Secretary Naseef Khalifa and other officials also reached Murdeshwar, and spoke with Bhatkal Assistant Commisoner Bharath and Murdeshwar Jamaat members Yaseen Sheikh, Manna Wasim, Abu Muhammad and others. In view of this, arrangements were made to quarantine about 100 people at a Madrasa in Murdeshwar. It has been reported that at the behest of Tanzeem, the Murdeshwar Jamaat has assured all possible support to all the quarantined people, especially with the facilities of Sehri (Pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (Fast-breaking meal).
A total of 103 passengers had boarded on the three buses, including one from Udupi. 28 of them have been allowed to go home and others have been quarantined at a Madrasa in Murdeshwar. Abdul Raqeeb MJ Nadvi, general secretary of the Tanzeem, said that no one from outside is allowed to enter or go out from the containment zone. He said that Murdeshwar Jamaat has offered its full support in this regard.
Cooperation from Sharavati Council: When the bus from Bengaluru was parked in Gersoppa forest and the passengers were in a very bad situation, the representatives of the Sharavati Council rushed to the spot and distributed food and water on their behalf. The Council had also planned to supply food in the morning for Sehri, but the bus had already left to Honnavar in the night.