Haryana sarpanch seals her village’s borders, youths on guard to prevent entry of outsiders

Villagers started guarding all four borders of the village on Wednesday. “We have deputed five youths at every entry point. We request the outsiders not to visit their relatives during the lockdown period. Announcement is being done in the village through loudspeaker. A song is also sung on it to make villagers aware about the danger of the coronavirus,” said Jagdeep Godara, a relative of the sarpanch.

The villagers say they have arranged for the stay of seven migrant labourers who reached the village 3-4 days ago, at the local government school to quarantine them for the next 14 days. “They will not be allowed to work in the fields for 14 days,” said Godara. Suman Devi’s husband Vijender Godara said they have distributed masks to villagers and are sanitising the village by spraying.

Fatehabad Deputy Commissioner Ravi Prakash Gupta said the villagers were increasingly approving of the concept of social distancing during the lockdown period. Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, he said, ‘theekri pehras’ (guarding the locality) were being undertaken effectively in many villages of the district. “At some places, the villagers had started `theekri pehras’ at their own even before we issued formal orders for the same. Earlier, such an exercise was undertaken to protect the villagers from dacoits. Now it is being done to prevent the entry of outsiders and gatherings in villages,” he added.

Officials said the residents of Bhuthan Kalan, Hasanga, Nadori and Bamanwala villages have also started ‘theekri pehras’. The villagers have also installed nakas at entry points.

The deputy commissioner said they have urged people to maintain a distance of six feet from each other. Meanwhile, the administration has set up teams of officials to stop black marketing of essential commodities by traders after receiving complaints.