COVID-19: Manipur villagers build 80 huts as quarantine centres

IMPHAL: In a pioneering community effort, villagers in Manipur have set up over 80 huts as quarantine centres to accommodate people as thousands of stranded have started returning to the state from various parts of the country, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the district administrations, the villagers without taking any financial assistance from the government have made more than 80 thatched bamboo huts in Senapati district's Tungjoy village, about 115-km from state capital here. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Union DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Minister Jitendra Singh and many other people have appreciated the villagers' efforts.

The Chief Minister tweeted: "My salute, Tungjoy village authorities have set up 80 huts for quarantine of their villagers who are going to come from outside the state. Each hut is fitted with a bed, separate toilet, gas table and electricity with charging socket. Water supply is provided at various locations."

Both the Chief Minister and the DoNER Minister in their tweets attached photographs of these huts in a valley.

District administration officials said that the essential commodities were also stocked in nearby huts.

In a different "Good Samaritan initiative, another remote village in Manipur had set an example by distributing free vegetables to thousands of people. Cutting across religious divides, residents of Christian dominated Konsakhul - a small village in Kangpokpi district - had recently distributed various vegetables in the neighbouring villages inhabited by Hindus and Muslims.

Under the initiative of Konsakhul village Chief Alyson Abonmai, and the villagers collected the vegetables from and around the village and gifted them among people of various villages dominated mostly by tribals, migrant workers and daily wagers.

Thousands of stranded people are returning to Manipur mostly by buses and small vehicles. Since it is mandatory to keep the people in quarantine after their return to the state, all the 60 assembly segments have opened at least one quarantine centre.

All the MLAs concerned, Deputy Commissioners, district Superintendents of Police and health officials would be supervising the accommodation during the 14-day quarantine period.

While a young woman in Manipur have recovered from COVID-19 another died from it in Mumbai. Eight Manipuri nurses have contracted the COVID-19 in Delhi. (IANS)