PONDA/BICHOLIM: Panic among Ponda, Bicholim and Sattari locals increased after Belgavi recorded 17 COVID-19 positive cases within day. The number of Coronavirus cases in Belgavi district nearly doubled with the tally reaching 36-mark on Thursday from 19 a day ago.
Following this news many Ponda Locals decided not to buy any vegetables coming from Belgaum for the next few days till the situation becomes normal.
Bicholim and Sattari locals strongly voiced the entry of goods carrying vehicles into the State.
The demand was so strong that the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawan, taking note of the demand, personally visited the border check-post at Keri, late in the evening on Friday and took stock of the situation.
The locals in Ponda were in panic as most of vegetables fruits and milk come from Belgaum and is brought into the State by drivers from the neighbouring district.
“There is a need to totally ban all the vehicular traffic from neighbouring Belgavi. We are moving into a green zone as far as Coronavirus is concerned but even one small mistake on our part would cost us a dearly,” said a doctor from Bicholim on the condition of anonymity.
Most of the vendors in Ponda are reportedly migrants and sell their wares in every nook and corner in the taluka without even being tested for COVID-19. Pondaites expressed fear that despite the 21-day lockdown, the cases in Belgavi have suddenly shot up in a day and decided not to buy vegetables from the migrants.
“Ponda Main Market is closed due to the lockdown. Not only vegetables and fish are sold at unauthorised places at high prices but most of those selling are migrants and many of them are unchecked for COVID-19. If this situation continues and the State Government allows them to conduct business of selling fish and vegetables without testing then we don’t know what will be consuming in the coming days,” said Vijay Sapre of Ponda.
With rise in the Coronavirus positive cases in Belgavi, the people, especially the doctors have strongly urged the government to stop completely the entry of all goods vehicle into the State.
Hundreds of vehicles pass the Keri-Sattari check post daily and enter the State from Belgavi. There is only thermal testing of the drivers and the cleaners.
Despite all these checkings, highly placed sources from the Primary Health Centre disclosed that once the drivers enter the State they cannot be traced as they just disappear.
“There won’t be any problem if vegetable and other necessary essential commodities are not imported from Belgavi but stopping the outside vehicles from entering the State is the need of the hour,” a source claimed.
