Relief camps battle to keep Covid at bay

GUWAHATI: Amid floods that have affected over 2.5 million people in 24 districts of Assam and claimed 84 lives, the state has to deal with the additional challenge of curbing the spread of coronavirus disease pandemic in 521 relief camps across the state. No Covid case has been reported from these relief camps yet, officials said.

“We had issued guidelines in May itself on management of flood relief camps. District administrations have followed those rules, but floods this year have been unrelenting, making it tougher for them,” said Pankaj

Chakraborty, project coordinator of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

Over 50,000 displaced people have taken shelter in the 521 relief camps in 24 of the 33 districts of the state.the local administrations are trying to implement a new set of rules at these camps.

“We have been staying here since July 13. Local officials informed us about maintaining hygiene and social distancing and we are trying to follow as much as possible,” Ramen Doley, a farmer in Golaghat, who is staying Mungilal relief camp.