While the State government has made RT-PCR negative certificate not older than 72 hours or a vaccination certification of at least one dose mandatory for those entering from Maharashtra or Kerala, surveillance is not easy given the nature of the border.
The Dakshina Kannada district administration has intensified checking of people entering through National Highways and State Highways at checkposts set up on the borders. Dakshina Kannada shares a border with Kasaragod district in Kerala and a major portion of its southern border abuts Kasaragod district. Thousands of people from the district visit Dakshina Kannada every day for employment and education, and such people have been asked to undergo tests every 15 days.
Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner C. Madan Mohan told The Hindu that the administration has deployed four teams at the Talapady checkpost, the major entry point from Kerala. Yatish Ulla, Assistant Commissioner, Puttur sub-division, said the administration has set up checkposts at Jalsur and Eshwaramangala, the two major entry points from Kasaragod to areas around Puttur and Sullia. However, there are multiple village routes to enter Karnataka and officials say it is impossible to keep watch on each and every point. The gram panchayats concerned have been told to keep watch on such movement.
At Belagavi, while there is enforcement at the key entry points from Maharashtra such as Kognoli checkpost, officials say that similar vigil is not feasible at all entry points. There are several farmers having their homes in one State and fields in the other.
Shivraj Patil, who works for a foodgrain trading company, said the rules were difficult to follow as each certificate is valid only for three days. “People like me travel between Kolhapur and Belagavi two or three times a week,” he said.
