The border blockade by the government to prevent non-essential movement of people, in a move to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections, had a bumpy start, with traffic snarls being compounded by inadequate thermal scanners and the eleventh hour movement of people at the Zuzuvadi check post, at the inter-State border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, in Hosur.
In the wake of the State government declaring closure of the inter-State borders, saving allowances for the essential movement of commodities and emergency travel by public, the district administration had deployed teams along the 16 points, where check posts were already existing along the shared border points of Tamil Nadu with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Zuzuvadi check post, on the main inter-State border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, however, was inadequately prepared for the steady stream of vehicles coming into Hosur from Bengaluru.
The late Friday night order of lockdown of the borders by the State government had not adequately trickled into Karnataka, it appeared, as a significant number of people came by buses.
The team of medical staff, police and revenue staff were compelled to make allowances for the public, claiming to travel back to their native places. Similarly, the Karnataka State Transport Corporation buses, that were refused entry into Tamil Nadu, dropped off passengers at the Athibelle toll plaza.
Scores of people who walked into the Zuzuvadi check post had to be allowed entry.
A random exercise
But the team of staff were equipped with only one thermal scanner. Soon, the thermal scanning turned into a random exercise, with a few being screened and others let off to avoid traffic snarls.
Similarly, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses that already plied into Bengaluru were allowed to return.
Border closure is expected to be strictly enforced from Saturday midnight, with allowances for people who are already in the middle of travel.
