NEPALGUNJ: Challenges have emerged in Banke district when it comes to managing quarantine facilities and the people languishing in those facilities with the increasing rate of coronavirus in the district.

Recently, as many as 300 Nepalis kept in the Mahendra Multiple Campus-based temporary quarantine fled from the center even without leaving a clue.

The rate of contraction of the COVID-19 has increased in the district with the sheer number of people coming back from India along with the shortage of quarantine facilities to accommodate them.

Locals are worried that these quarantines might turn out to be breeding spots of the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, a large group of people entering Nepal from India through Jumanaha checkpoint in Nepalgunj was kept in the temporary quarantine on Monday.

After the incident, 200 people are currently languishing in the quarantine.

A meeting of the Banke District Security Committee has decided to be more vigilant to discourage such incidences.

Meanwhile, one of the least developed local levels of Banke, the Narainapur Rural Municipality with the population of 35,000 has turned out to be coronavirus hotbed in recent times as one in six each case is from this village.

The rural municipality has currently more than 750 people in different quarantines. Some of them have run away from the quarantine.

It should be noted that a youth, 25, languishing at the Bhagawanpur quarantine of Narainapur-5 died on May 17 and was later said to have been a corona patient.

After the death of this youth, people who could walk left the shelter, others called their relatives by deserting the quarantine.

Moreover, Narainapur is bordered with India, and lack of managed border points has made the village a place with a spongy border.

According to Krishna KC, a lawmaker at the Provincial Assembly said that the open border along with the unbridled arrival of people from India has further complicated the situation.

He labels the inflow of Nepalis from India as ‘challenging’ as most of the people come from India’s hotspots –mainly Delhi and Maharashtra.

Mayor of the Rural Municipality, Istiyak Ahmad Sah says, “Due to the provocation coming from some self-centered people, efforts to take the corona infected people to Nepalgunj isolation was initially obstructed.”

According to him, most of the quarantines in the area have no electricity. “Imagine what could be the situation,” he complained.

India-returnees traveling for a number of days to reach their village seem unwilling to stay at the quarantine as these centers lack fans or other basic facilities, according to him.

Several people were found running away from the quarantine facilities exposing their family and community to further risk of the virus.

“Poor facility is not our choice, however, when people run away from the quarantines, we are blamed,” Mayor Shah said remorsefully.

According to Dirgha Raj Upadhyaya, Assistant Chief District Officer of the district, the runaways can further risk their community.

Moreover, the congestion at the quarantine centers is another factor making people unsafe there.

The administration, too, is worried about the prospective transmission in the community.

Meanwhile, two people of Banke district succumbed to COVID-19, so far.