By: Rebecca Hoineikim Baite
As soon as I heard information from the civil aviation minister in his tweets about domestic flight to be resume on 25th May, with maximum excitement i quickly booked my flight ticket, hoping that i would reached my home and meet my family safely (of course qurantine first). Not to mention about Delhi being the 3rd most covid-19 affected state in country but the temperature alone which has stretch 45°C for several days is intolerable enough.
Then comes 27th May, the most anticipated day,i left my apartment for Terminal 3 Airport Delhi at 1:00 AM where my flight is schedule to depart at 5:30 for Tulihal Airport,Imphal.
In the airport entry gate, the process for calibrated manner issued by MoCA started with noncontact tickets check, identification, luggage checks and then ends with thermal screening, after which we were only allowed to enter inside. By the time we finished all this process & reached the boarding gate it’s already 3:00AM. After 2 and a half hour being in a sedentary in the waiting room then the flights crew comes and provide us protective kits (face shield,surgical mask and sanitizer) . Then finally we are boarded at ~6:05am. Due to covid-19 pandemic the civil aviation authority has set a guidelines that no food should be provided during the flights journey but accessible with eatables and water inside the flight premise is permitted for the passengers. At 8:30 AM we reached Guwahati and we are made to get off from the flight where the plane needs to be sanitize again in precautions for the new passengers in Guwahati. Then at 9:50AM we reached our destination, Imphal.
Immediately after another thermal screening at Imphal Airport we are advised to boarded in bus which take us to the HRD Academy. There we are waiting for the another bus which would be provided by the district wise administrator/MLA/staff. Hang fire started and it’s already 10:30 AM.
Then after 30 minutes passengers from valley districts bus came one after another & some were sanitize along with their luggage before entering and now the left behind were mostly only the hill district passengers.
In between that others passengers from another flights came and with congested we were all made to sit on the varendah . And now the worst part starts with no scoial distancing plus low immunity due to hunger and tiredness from flight journey. No food and water was also provided there.
Even after waiting for hours, there were no signs of vehicles coming for us, so finally we decided to do something.
Fortunately we were accompanied by Delhi&NCR KSO former Sect. With him we contact KSO and KKL CCPur and thankfully they hands helps by sending two vehicles (KKL ambulance and Winger). By the time the vehicles reached us it’s already 4:30 PM. With this two small vehicles we together agreed to contribute RS 350 per head for the vehicles fare and adjusted to sit(30 plus passengers) with our luggage and leave Imphal for CCPur at 5:00PM. (No more awareness no more social distancing).
But then, as we were about to go, a mini bus just arrived, too tired & exhausted no one bother to get down & change their vehicle.
Onfortunately we met an accident on the way (at Bishempur) but no passengers was hurt when Ambulance vehicle left wheel got loose and hit an old lady. She was immediately conveyed to the nearest hospital. After wasting some time, we were all compel to travel by mini bus, we were 30+ passenger. (to maintain social distancing max. Passengers would be ~15).
By the time we reach CCPur Peace Ground it was already night and raining, there we were compel to do another thermal screening and registration. Then we take off our luggage from bus roof & kept it inside as it was raining & within no time we were drenched. It was cold,we were really weak & exhausted.
From there, all the passengers from CCPur district were instruct to quarantine in NKT SCHOOL KAWNPUI until they get their test result. But when we reached the school the villages authority refuses to gives us accomodation and warn us no one notify them any information about our arrival at their village quarantine centre.
Then we again contact the CCPur KSO and the concerned authority and with their help they finally agreed to assist us. It was already 9:00PM and we were still without dinner and starving. The anticipation with ready meals waiting for us is now a nightmare for us.
Instead they informed us that food should be provided by your respective families but people like some of us who were very distant from the quarantine centre were left with no choice and we requested them to provide the dinner atleast. Fortunately they agreed to aid us with the dinner. Among us is a two elderly couple (without food all day and fatigue from our journey) is more prone to the virus. Infact if any one among us is a positive ( still unknown as testing process is still underway) we are all at High risk.
From my experienced i now understand why we the CCPur district have the most number of covid-19 cases. A wile back i thought it was due to negligence and misbehavior of the strandees in the quarantine centre but now i strongly suspect the mishandling and lack of monitor and cooperation given by the concerned District administrator/committee for covid 19 SOP.
WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE!!
AND FINALLY I AM DEEPLY ENDEBTED TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR AND CONCERN ORGANIZATION WHO HANDS HELPS IN BRINGING US SAFELY THUS FAR. THANK YOU ALL AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!
